Devotion and Destiny
by Loyal Subject
Summary: Belle is desperately searching for her guardian in the South Pole. However, her life takes a sudden turn when she encounters the Avatar and Prince Zuko. Belle must make a decision:what is morally right or what her heart tells her. But what will she choose
1. Chapter 1: First Encounter

Chapter 1: First encounter

My name is Belle. There is no need for a last name. Just call me Belle. Not too long ago, I traveled with the Avatar. It's no surprise you haven't heard of me. That is why I feel the need to tell you what_ really _happened. You need to know _my_ story because my story has the _truth_.

I'll never forget the day I first saw _him._ I was trudging through the freezing cold of the South Pole. Another brilliant idea of mine. My hands were frozen, and my feet went numb about an hour before. But I had to keep searching for my guardian. I had to find Zito.

"Belle," the small, childlike voice from my past called. My body froze. It can't be him. It's impossible. I must be imagining things due to the cold. I must have been out here so long that I was hearing voices in my head. But the voice seemed so real...so comforting...

I turned to where the voice came from. I peered out into the distance and noticed a small group of people. I began to walk over to them. Maybe they could spare a loaf of bread. Or, more importantly, maybe Zito was among them.

They didn't seem to notice me as I approached them. I stopped dead as soon as I noticed the Fire Nation ship. And that's when I saw _him_. There were two boys, looking like they were ready to kill each other. _Oh good dinner and a show_ I thought and chuckled a little. One of the boys was clearly from the Fire Nation. The other one was dressed unusually and had a blue arrow on his head. It took me a few moments to realize that he was the Avatar.

I didn't care if he was the Avatar. I immediately made it my obligation to protect him. It was the least I could do for this pitiful world. I took out my knives and approached them quietly. I don't know how they didn't see me. I was right in the open and I was running toward them. But, none the less, no one spotted me. Then again, I was trained to be silent and deadly. I leaped in the air and threw my knives in between the two. They both stopped immediately and looked in my direction. I landed right in front of the boy from the Fire Nation. I glanced back at the Avatar. He was just a little kid...and I immediately thought of Lee.

I took the knives out of the snow and pointed them defensively at my opponent.

"Maybe you should pick on someone your own size," I said. Like me. We did look about the same age. The boy shot a glare at me. I didn't move though. I kept staring right at him.

"I don't have time for you," he said. I was insulted.

"Well then make time!" I practically yelled. What a jerk. He shot fire at me three consecutive times. I quickly went down to the ground and tripped him with my leg. He fell flat on his face but then quickly bounced back up. Except the jerk started attacking the Avatar.

"HEY! You're supposed to be fighting me!" I yelled. He ignored me. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

"Wait," the Avatar said, "if I go with you, will you promise to leave these people alone?" The boy nodded. Well, this would be a good time to go sneak on the Fire Nation ship so I can get the Avatar once they set sail. Not to mention, I was curious as to what the inside of the ship looked like. I got low to the ground and, like a sly fox, I snuck on board. The jerky kid must have forgotten about me.

I had to be fast. There was no way my Earth Kingdom clothing would be sufficient enough to stay in the shadows. They were bright green for crying out loud. I will admit, I wasn't perfect. I had to knock out one guard. Before I ran into another guard, I hid in a room. I planned to wait a few minutes, spring the Avatar from his cell, and save his boney little ass. The plan wasn't that great, but I had to save the Avatar...he was too much like Lee...and I was getting attached...

No. I couldn't let the painful memory resurface. I couldn't remember.

The opening of the door stopped my train of thought. My heart stopped beating as the Fire Nation kid came in. What was his name again? I could have sworn I heard at least _one_ person say it...maybe it was the Avatar...no the guard...but I knocked him out before he had a chance to say anything...Zuko. That was it. Zuko didn't look surprised and then I understood: He _did_ see me go on his ship. It was a trap and I walked right into it. I watched him shut the door.

"I figured we'd have a stole way," Zuko said and he walked past me to place a staff down, "What do you want?"

"I'm here to rescue the Avatar," I replied as matter of factly.

"Is that so?" Zuko took his position and so did I. For some reason, he stopped and opened the door. I didn't understand. Was he letting me go? Then, the Avatar came in. He went to get his staff. He looked up at me, surprised.

"What are you doing here?" the Avatar asked me.

"I'm here to rescue you but you know that plan is kinda not working out at the moment..." Zuko slammed the door shut. Ok, that's it I'm out. Zuko isn't going to want to fight me anyway and the Avatar can handle him. So I basically walked out. Zuko and the Avatar kept fighting. I walked nonchalantly to the deck. Everyone was so frantic about the Avatar, no one cared about me. Well as long as it got me out of there. There were a few that actually noticed me but I defeated them with ease.

I ran to the deck and realized that we were in the middle of the ocean. Just great. Well, here were my options: A. get captured or B. jump in the water and probably freeze to death and/or drown...option B it is!

As I was about to jump into the icy cold blue, the Avatar came flying out. It was breathtaking. I wish I could fly. But then Zuko ruined the moment when he jumped and pulled the Avatar to the ground. Wow, that kid just won't give up will he? I went to charge Zuko but then I noticed that the Avatar was in the water.

"Aang!" I heard someone cry from above. I looked up and two people from the Water tribe were on a ginormous flying bison. Now I've seen everything. There was a sudden glow coming from the water and Aang emerged high in the air. He was glowing; like a star in the darkest of darkness. I knew then that he was the answer to my prayers. I couldn't help but stare in awe. Zuko wasn't far from me and he too was mystified. Or maybe he was afraid. Either way...he was there and I was there oh yeah and Aang was there too! Good times Good times... Aang came down to the deck. With powerful waterbending, he attacked Zuko and his men. I don't know how, but I didn't get hurt by Aang's enormous power. Zuko nearly fell overboard. I ran over to the edge to help him. Fire Nation or not, the water was friggin freezing and I wouldn't want to fall in myself. For some strange reason unknown to me, I felt like myself. The old me, the me before my world had been turned upside down.

"Do you need some help?" I playfully teased and I couldn't help but smile. And I laughed. Wow that was a shock. I hadn't laughed in such a long time...Zuko took my hand but the jerk tried to attack me. You know I don't understand this, I try to be nice and he friggin attacks me. So I pushed him off the boat again. I jumped onto the flying bison. Everyone else came on too. Before I knew it we were in the air. I was flying...wow. I couldn't believe it. I looked down at the Fire Nation ship. Zuko was being pulled up by someone. They gracefully shot a huge fireball towards us. Aang swiftly redirected it. This caused ice to tumble on the ship. The others laughed but I didn't. It was a nice boat, why'd they have to break it? --

We all settled down and I met the two from the Water Tribe. The girl was Katara and her older brother was Sokka. Sokka was the same age as me, fifteen. Well technically my birthday was near so I was slightly older. I looked out at the sunset and thought of Zito. I hoped I would find him soon.

"Hey, thanks for trying to save me back there," Aang said cheerfully.  
"You're welcome," I said a little sadly. I suddenly felt home sick.  
"What were you doing in the South Pole anyway?" Katara asked.  
"I was looking for someone...but no worries," I said cheerfully. I knew I had to keep my sadness, my pain inside, especially if I was going to stay with these three. Maybe if I stayed, I'd find Zito.

It was nightfall. I looked up at the stars. And that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach returned. The longing for home. I wanted to desperately see Zito again. And I wanted to see Lee too. But I knew it couldn't happen. My past was my enemy.


	2. Chapter 2: An Occurance at Kyoshi

Chapter 2: An Occurrence at Kyoshi

To my surprise, I actually stopped feeling depressed. The pain was still there, there was no doubt about that. But Aang's cheeriness reminded me of how I used to act; how I once acted young, excited, and energetic. For once in a very long time, I was happy.

We were staying on Kyoshi Island. I was having a blast. I watched the Kyoshi warriors graceful movements, hoping to learn some myself. Not to mention it was entertaining watching Sokka in a dress. He got what he deserved the sexist.

I was on the main street when all chaos broke loose. One minute, everything was fine and the next people were screaming that the Fire Nation had arrived. The Kyoshi warriors hid in the alley ways. I did the same. Not to my surprise, Zuko appeared. I had to give him credit, he was very very determined. I watched him take down Suki, Sokka, and a couple of others.

"Come out Avatar! These little girls can't save you," he said. Little...girls...that's it. I stepped out.

"LITTLE GIRLS? YOU SEXIST! SEXIST!" I yelled, "Let's see what you have to say once I beat you again." I took out my weapons. I tried to knock him down again with my leg but he dodged it. I found myself actually having difficulty. I gradually cooled down and my anger towards Zuko was replaced with impressement.

"You know, you ain't half bad," I said and I smiled but Zuko frowned.   
"I don't have time for this. Where is the Avatar!" he practically yelled. I shrugged. Man was this kid obsessed. Give it a rest, he was going to have to move my cold dead body before he got to Aang. Zuko continued to stare at me.

"How should I know? I've been fighting you," I said.

"I'm right here!" Aang called off from behind. I trudged off to the sidelines. If Zuko didn't want to fight me, I'll just watch Aang beat him to a pulp. 

I wasn't too pleased by the fact that we ended up leaving without teaching Zuko a lesson. We flew off into the distance and little did I know that my fate would take a huge twist. 


	3. Chapter 3: The Twisting of Fate

Chapter 3: The Twisting of Fate

Things weren't going to well. I was starting to sink back into depression. All I could do was think about Zito. He was like a father to me...Was he alright? What if he was hurt? Or worse...

No. I wasn't going to let that happen again. 

We had just left a small village that we ended up saving. I won't go into detail but we had to stop a deranged teenager from killing innocent civilians just to rid the town of Fire Nation. Even Zuko wasn't that crazy.

I also thought I must have been coming down with something. I couldn't sleep at night and I could feel my temperature rising. I thought the best thing to do was to stop being paranoid about Zito and to stop thinking about Lee.

Lee...

Before I knew it, we had landed. I immediately unpacked my things and laid down. Katara looked at me. 

"I'm sorry but I really don't feel good...I promise I'll help put camp away in the morning," I said. I could see Katara's sympathy in her eyes.  
"Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes that helps," Katara said. Oh god. I should have just set up camp.

"No I'm fine," I said and I threw my blanket over my head. Please, don't make me talk about it. Please. 

"Are you sure because..."  
"I said I'm fine!" I snapped. I couldn't help it. Didn't anyone understand that I didn't want to talk about it? Katara looked down sadly.

"I know it's hard. We've all been hurt by the Fire Nation but..."  
"WHAT!?" That was it. "You just assume that this is about the Fire Nation. Well its not. It has nothing to do with them!" Katara was surprised. I realized that I was standing up now. I could feel Sokka and Aang's eyes staring at me. I didn't care and I stared at the ground. And I thought of him, I thought of Lee and I felt the tears coming.

"What I don't understand is why you're so protective of the Fire Nation. You're even nice to Zuko," Sokka observed. A flash of anger swept through me.  
"I just joke around! I would NEVER be friends with that jerk!" I screamed. This was true. Like King Bumi, I just like to mess with people and Zuko was one of my victims. I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed my things.  
"Where are you going?" Aang asked.  
"You just don't understand." I replied.

I ran as fast as I could. It was probably a stupid idea, considering my fever. But I didn't care. I just kept running. I didn't know how far I ran or how long. But my fever grew worse. I knew I was going to pass out any moment. I had to stop. I heard someone from the bushes...if they were bushes...but I didn't move. Someone grabbed my wrists. I looked up, dazed, to see Zuko. I saw his lips moving but no sound was coming out. I started to close my eyes but he shook me a little. That was when I saw him. I saw Lee, my brother. He was there, on the ground, covered in blood. That had been the last time I had seen him. 

I screamed as loud as I could. Or at least I think I screamed. I shut my eyes and let the tears flow. I started to get the chills. What was happening to me? I opened my eyes again. Why was everything spinning? And why was everything turning into darkness?

I slowly opened my eyes. I didn't know where I was. The room looked familiar but I couldn't remember whose room it was. Was it my room?

"Oh, good you are awake," a man said. I looked up at him. I knew him but I was too tired to remember where I had seen him.  
"Wha...what happened?" I asked.  
"We found you just outside of town. You had a bad fever and have been asleep for three days." I then noticed that there was a wet rag on my head.  
"Where am I?" The man gave a grave expression  
"You are a prisoner of Prince Zuko and are on his ship." I rose from the bed and looked around to confirm this new information. It was true alright, but I wasn't in just any room, I was in Zuko's room. I'd recognize that Fire Nation banner anywhere. But a prisoner? Me a prisoner? The room started to spin again and I had to lay back down. I groaned. Me a prisoner. Now how was I going to find Zito?

"I have to go and tell my nephew that you are conscious." I could hear him moving towards the door.  
"Wait," I called. I sat up again. He paused by the door. I jumped out of the bed. I staggered a little. I still felt like a wet noodle but I continued to walk towards him. I gave a slight bow.  
"Thank you," I said. It was the least I could do. Even though I was about to be thrown in a jail cell, he had taken care of me when I was sick. He reminded me of Zito in a way.   
"Your thanks is appreciated." I rose from my position and smiled.  
"I'm Belle."  
"It is nice to meet you. My name is General Iroh but you can just call me Iroh. Now, I'm sure my nephew is waiting on deck." I sank at the remembrance of Zuko and the idea that I was a prisoner. I followed Iroh up to the deck.

The fresh air made me feel a lot better. The salt air filled my lungs. I looked out into the ocean. The scene was calm and peaceful. It was perfect until Zuko came towards me. I had never seen anyone so angry looking in my life. He always had a frown and this encounter was no exception. His stare was intimidating and I found myself nearly cowering behind Iroh.

"Where is the Avatar?" Zuko asked.  
"I don't know," I replied quietly, "we got separated." It wasn't like I was going to tell him the truth anyway. He stared at me for a long time. Then he walked away and looked toward the sea.  
"I want you on this deck as much as possible. I want the Avatar to know that you are here. He wouldn't leave his friend behind." I didn't say anything. I felt a little guilty knowing that I was bait. But i was still more concerned with the fact that I may never see Zito. I looked out at the sea and saw that twilight was approaching.  
"It's getting late, I'll show you to your room," Zuko said. I was shocked by his comment.  
"My room? You're not going to throw me in the brig?"  
Do you want me to?"  
"No." Zuko walked below deck and I reluctantly followed. My room wasn't too far. And, to my surprise, it was actually fairly nice. I was confused. Why was he doing this?  
"Don't think about escaping because you can't. There will be guards at the door. And don't even think about using your weapons against them because I confiscated them." Like I was planning to escape anyway. Zuko walked towards the door.

"Zuko," I said quietly. I sounded like a small, lost child. He turned to look at me. I bowed just as I had done with Iroh. I knew Zuko was surprised. It wasn't like I had a choice. Although Iroh did take care of me, Zuko could have left me to die. But he didn't. And he could have thrown me in a jail cell but he chose to give me a room.

"Thank you," I said.  
"You're welcome," Zuko said almost as quietly as me. There was an awkward silence.  
"Goodnight," I said and I gave a little smile. He walked towards the door and was about to shut it.  
"Goodnight," he said and then he shut the door. I stood in my room, in silence. Maybe Zuko wasn't as bad as I thought. Maybe there was some kindness in him. I sat on my bed. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here...


	4. Chapter 4: The Storm

Chapter 4-The Storm

This place sucks! It wasn't the food. I was given very good food, in fact. It was a lot better than those stupid nuts Sokka always brought. And it wasn't the quarters either. I slept like a rock when I wasn't thinking of Lee and Zito. That was the problem. I was thinking of Lee and Zito. It didn't help that I had to stay on the deck all the time. There was nothing to do up there so I was easily thinking of them. I felt like a worm on a hook. I was bait. And it didn't help with Zuko's temper. The only thing that could cheer me up was Iroh's company. He always made me laugh and it was a perfect distraction.

It was a sunny day, perfect for having to stand on deck all day. I actually would have been enjoying myself if I hadn't had that horrible nightmare of Zito the previous night. Now all I could do was worry about him. I looked towards Zuko and Iroh and watched Iroh embrace the fresh air.

"There is going to be a storm, Prince Zuko," Iroh said. I looked up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in site. How could there possibly be a storm coming?

"You're crazy uncle, there isn't a cloud in site," Zuko said.

"It is blowing in from the North. I suggest we alter our course and head South West."

"But the Avatar is traveling north."

"Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew."

"The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" Of course, Zuko lost his temper right in front of one of the crewmen. I almost chuckled at the irony but I was afraid Zuko would notice. Zuko walked up to the crewman.

"Finding the Avatar is far more important," Zuko said with his usual glare.

"You mean you're going to get yourself killed just to find Aang? He's not worth getting killed for," I said. It was true that Aang was heading north; there was no doubt about it. But a storm too? Not to mention, I wouldn't want to be on this ship in the middle of a storm and I certainly didn't want to die looking for Aang. It didn't surprise me when Zuko shot his amber eyes at me. I simply shrugged it off.

"Look, I just don't want to see you get killed over something like this," I said which, as much as I hate to admit it, was true. Sure Zuko was a royal pain in the ass but I still wouldn't want to see him get killed. I didn't want to see anyone get killed anymore.

"There isn't going to be a storm," Zuko said and he walked away. I sighed and walked to the edge of the ship. I watched the motion of the waves, trying to relax, but I couldn't. I was too worried and it felt like there was a pit at the bottom of my stomach. It must be one of my off days.

"You look lonely sitting here by yourself," Iroh said from behind. I looked down to notice that I was sitting but I didn't care. I just continued to stare at the water. Even Iroh couldn't cheer me up.

"You look a little pale, are you getting another fever?" Iroh asked.

"I don't think so," I said quietly but Iroh felt my head anyway.

"Hmmm...I know just the thing. What you need is some tea." I looked up and laughed a little.

"I'd like that," I said and got up. We made our way towards the door but Zuko spotted me. I sighed.

"I guess I'll have to wait on the tea." I then looked up and saw the clouds approaching. What do you know? Iroh was right.

"Seems your uncle was right about the storm," one of the crew members said. Oh great, here we go again. I stayed by Iroh and tried not to get involved.

"...you better learn some respect, or I will teach it to you," Zuko said. He was right in the guys face but then he backed off. Well, at least it didn't get too out of control.

"What do you know about respect? You treat..." the crewman began. No! What is he doing! That's like committing suicide! And worst of all, Zuko's probably going to start taking it out on me! I wanted to tackle him so he would keep quiet. Instead, I looked at Iroh who was motioning the man to stop. Zuko turned around and the two locked arms. I could see smoke coming from the two.

"Enough," Iroh said and he broke the two from their grip, "We are all a bit tired. I am sure everyone will feel better after a bowl of hot noodles." The crew seemed satisfied and went inside. Well, at least I didn't have to stand on the deck anymore for today.

"I don't need you keeping order on my ship," Zuko said. Iroh went to put his hand on Zuko's shoulder but Zuko shoved him away. Iroh stopped for a moment but then went inside. I stayed with Zuko.

"Zuko, you shouldn't have done that. You don't know how lucky you are that you have your family with you," I said quietly as I thought of Zito. Zuko took this offensively and immediately turned around.

"You keep forgetting that you are still _my_ prisoner," Zuko snapped.

"I was just trying to help."

"I don't need your help!" Zuko yelled.

"Well maybe you should control your temper!" I yelled back even though I knew it wasn't a good retort. I went inside. I wasn't hungry anymore so I thought I'd explore. Maybe I could find a book, something to keep my mind off of things. I walked past where everyone was eating. The smell lured me towards the door and I started walking down the stairs.

"Try to understand, my nephew is a very complicated young man," Iroh was saying. I stopped dead and crouched down. I help onto the bars and listened.

I heard it all. What happened to Zuko, everything. I had him with a passion and now I was crying for him. I thought of Zito and what I would have done if that happened to me. The pain was too much. I ran back up the stairs before anyone could see me. I didn't look where I was going and ended up bumping into someone. I looked up and saw Zuko. My eyes immediately filled up with tears.

"Zuko...I'm so sorry," I said and I ran to my room.

About ten minutes later, the ship was hit. I fell out of my bed but quickly got to my feet and ran on deck. The rain was coming down fast, which was good because no one could tell I had been crying. The wind was blowing hard. Luckily, my black hair was tied up but I still had trouble seeing. I just barely managed to see Zuko rescue the helmsman. And then I saw Appa. I couldn't believe it, they were here.

"What do you want us to do sir?" someone asked.

"Let him go. We need to get this ship to safety," Zuko answered.

"Then we must head directly into the eye of the storm," Iroh said.

As soon as we had headed into the eye of the storm, the rain stopped and I could see the clear sky again. I looked down at the water, and noticed that it was glowing. Within seconds, Appa emerged from the water. Zuko and I looked up at Aang. He looked right at me….and didn't do a thing!

"Can you believe it! Aang looked right at me and didn't do a thing! I'm being held against my will and he's swimming with Appa!" I said in frustration.

"Belle," Zuko said and I looked at him, "I'm sorry." I eyed him for a moment but I could tell that he meant it.

"It's okay, don't worry about it," I said.

I could see Lee. He was looking at the lake, on the bridge. Like we used to. It was then that I realized that I was on the bridge too. We were there together, like brother and sister. Like the way it should be. I messed up his hair and he laughed. I laughed too, and I put my arms around him.

"Hey, let me go," Lee said playfully but I didn't let go. I didn't _want_ to let him go. I kissed the top of his head.

And then my dream turned into a nightmare. I was no longer on the bridge but, instead, in a forest. Lee, too, was there except he was sleeping. I crawled over to him and hovered over his bloody body. My mind was numb.

"Lee..." I whispered. It was then that I realized he wasn't sleeping, he was dead.

I woke up screaming. I was sweating and tears were flowing down my face. I took deep breaths. I decided I needed fresh air. I opened my door and walked onto the deck. I went to the edge and found myself trembling.

_Calm down _I told myself. It was only a dream. Just a horrible...horrible dream.

But it wasn't a dream. Lee really was dead and he wasn't coming home. I would never see him again...

I started to shiver and I realized the sky was black with night.

"Are you alright?" someone asked from behind. I turned around and saw Zuko.

"I'm fine," I said but my voice faltered.

"I heard you scream."

"It was just a nightmare." There was a long silence.

"….who is Lee?" Zuko asked. My heart jumped at the sound of his name.

"How…how did you know?" I asked.

"That's all you kept saying for three days…and you were just screaming his name." I had to hold on to the rail for support. I began to tremble again.

"…We weren't related. But I treated him like a little brother. You see, my parents were killed when I was little….and a nobleman named Zito took me in. Lee's mother died giving birth to him. Just last year, when he was eight and I had just turned fifteen, I became his bodyguard."

"Bodyguard?"

"Yes…we weren't liked very much. We didn't want to have anything to do with the war. Zito even refused to lend money for the war efforts. We still don't, not really. I don't want to see that nation's fighting and I certainly don't want to see the Fire Nation massacred by the other nations. The world is supposed to be in balance and even when the war does end, no one will like the Fire Nation and it will ruin the balance. So, a lot of people considered us traitors. Zito wanted someone to look after Lee and he only trusted me. So I was given the job. I wasn't going to let anything happen to him until…." My voice faltered again and I let a few tears slide down my cheek.

"A group of Earthbenders who part of the army…they broke in one night and took Lee…I followed them but they knocked me out…and when I woke up…." I gripped the railing harder as I desperately tried to hold back my tears. I took a few deep breaths.

"After that, Zito left. I'm not sure why he left but I know it has something to do with the war…I left to find him. I have to find him…..he's the only person I have left…" I couldn't do it. I let it all out. I cried. The next thing I knew, I put my arms around Zuko. I didn't know what I was doing. Maybe he would get mad and kill me. I didn't care, I just wanted the pain to go away.

I knew he was leading me somewhere but I didn't know where. I heard him open a door. I couldn't really see, the tears were blinding me.

"Uncle? Can you…take care of this?" he asked. I felt him taking my arms off his waist and I felt someone else holding onto me. I cried until sleep overcame me.


	5. Chapter 5: Enemies Become Friends

Chapter 5: Enemies Become Friends

I woke up the next morning on the floor with a blanket over me. I slowly got up.

"Here, drink this," Iroh said. He handed me a cup of tea.

"Thank you," I said quietly. I took a sip but I didn't dare make eye contact.

"I know you are going through difficult times. I lost my own son Luten long ago," Iroh said. I looked up in surprise but I didn't say anything.

"You should find Zuko, he was worried about you." Iroh said when I finished my tea. This surprised me. Zuko was worried about me? Could those words be put into the same sentence in that order?

I obeyed Iroh and walked on the deck. Zuko was there but I stayed my distance.

I spent the next few days trying to avoid Zuko. Mostly because I was embarrassed about how I had poured my guys out in front of him. That event had only one positive: the grief was out of my system. For now.

I found that Zuko was actually being nice to me. He wasn't forcing me to stay on the deck anymore. I was free to go wherever I wanted. It seemed like he felt sorry for me. I wished that there was something I could do for him in return…

My chance came one day while I was watching Iroh play Pai Sho with the crewmen. Two Fire Nation Soldiers came bringing a wanted poster. Something about this guy named Zhao becoming an admiral and now he was demanding information. I don't know. I didn't really listen.

"Off my ship!" Zuko yelled at the soldiers. I jumped a little. As soon as the soldiers left, Zuko went on deck.

I started getting worried when Zuko didn't come back for a while. So I went on deck with Iroh. Zuko was practicing firebending.

"Prince Zuko, you haven't given an order in over an hour," Iroh said.

"It doesn't matter."

"Don't let Zhao intimidate you. You still have a fighting chance."

"How uncle? With Zhao's resources, it's only a matter of time before he captures the Avatar. My honor, my throne, my country, I'm about to lose them all." I felt a pang in my heart at those words. This was too much, I had to do something. I waited for Iroh to leave.

"I can't believe you're just going to give up like that! Quit mopping, get up, and do something! Zuko, I saw you practically outwit those pirates, you can outwit this Zhao too. You just have to think outside the box."

"What do you suggest I do?"

"Look, you want to capture the Avatar and I need to save Aang from this Zhao. Here's what we're going to do. We'll go and save Aang from Zhao. Then, the Avatar is free, you can try and capture him, and there! Everyone goes home happy! You've still got that little boat right? Because we're going to need it." Zuko stared at me as though I was crazy. But I didn't care, I was fired up.

"I can understand if you don't want to do this, I mean you're technically going against the Fire Nation but I'm going to save Aang with or without you. So I'll give you until sunset otherwise I'm going to commandeer your ship."

At sunset, I snuck over to where the mini vessel was. I waited a few minutes and sure enough, Zuko arrived.

"So you decided to come," I teased.

"I wasn't going to let you steal my ship."

"That's good because I don't know how to steer it anyway." We both entered the vessel. It was a cozy little thing. I sat in the passenger seat. The trip was long and boring. I hoped Aang was alright. When we were close, Zuko tossed something to me.

"Put this on," he said.

"What is it?"

"Your disguise. You can't let the Fire Nation know who you are. Besides, your Earth Kingdom clothes are too bright." I went in the back of the ship and put the black clothes on. When I came back, Zuko was wearing similar clothing only he had a blue mask. I want a blue mask! All I got was a lame hood.

"Hey, how come _you_ get a mask?" I asked. I took the mask from him and put it on. I looked in the mirror and started making funny movements, laughing the whole time.

"Quit messing around," Zuko said. He snatched the mask from me.

"You've got to lighten up," I said. Zuko took two swords out. I noticed they were the two swords that hung on his wall.

"Quit messing around," I mimicked. He looked at me and handed me my knives.

"Here, now let's go." Did he realize what he was doing? I could easily escape with these. I gave Zuko a blank expression. He just ignored it. We exited the vessel and made our way to the fortress.

We were making our way out of the Fire Nation fortress. Zuko had his swords pressed against Aang's throat. I wasn't worried about Aang though, I was worried about Zuko. That Zhoa had let us out way too easy. I knew he was planning something, I just didn't know what.

It happened within seconds. I saw the arrow coming towards us. It was coming towards me. I thought for sure I was going to get hit. But it didn't hit me, it hit Zuko. I saw him fall on the ground and I immediately bent down. His shoulder was bleeding and he was clearly knocked out. I could hear the Fire Nation coming. I began to panic. What was I going to do? Then I remembered Aang. Aang was next to me and he took off Zuko's mask. He jumped back at the site.

"Aang," I said and Aang was even more surprised. I took off my hood.

"Aang, please help!" I pleaded. The soldiers were coming closer and I took out my knives and stood defensively in front of Zuko. But Aang came through for me and helped me get Zuko up.

"Thank you Aang," I said. He didn't reply.

We retreated to the woods. I set Zuko down gently. His wound was bad and the arrow was still inside him. I reached for my bandages when I realized that I left them on the other ship. Figures. I had to think fast but my mind went a little numb. The last time I had seen a lot of blood was when…..

I ripped my sleeve off and handed it to Aang.

"Aang, go soak this with water quickly," I said. Aang nodded and took the sleeve. He ran off to complete the task.

I looked down at Zuko to make sure he was still breathing. I knew it would be easier to tend to the wound if I could get his shirt off but I wasn't too keen on the idea. I decided I would do a quick job for now and then tend to it properly later. Aang came back faster than I had expected. He handed me the rag. Now was the hard part. I took a deep breath and reached for the top of the arrow that was sticking out of his shoulder. I began to pull it out but Zuko winced and I got scared. My hands were trembling, but I knew I had to get the arrow out, so I tugged it again and pulled it out. I quickly cleaned his wound and used my other sleeve to tie it up. I relaxed a little but my hands were still shaking. Aang wrapped his hands around his legs and looked down at the ground.

"Belle, why did you run away?" Aang asked sadly. It then occurred to me that I had probably hurt everyone's feelings by running away.

"I'm sorry Aang…I was angry," I said.

"So then you sided against us?" Aang asked.

"Of course not! Aang…its not like that at all…I helped Zuko because I wanted to save you…and … I know it might be hard for you to understand but….Zuko…he's different then we thought. He saved my life and he's been good to me …when he didn't have to be," I said. I looked at Aang but he didn't look convinced.

"Well then, now you can come with us," Aang said but I shook my head. I now realized that that wasn't what I wanted anymore. I wanted to stay with Iroh and Zuko. They seemed to understand me and had become apart of my family.

"I can't Aang," I said.

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand….and not to mention I'm still his prisoner and it would be wrong for me to leave him now, especially since he helped me rescue you." Aang nodded. I knew this excuse was not going to last long but it was good enough for now. I looked down at Zuko. He would be fine. Aang and I didn't speak. Every once in a while I would check on Zuko and change the bandage with another piece of my clothing that I ripped off. I didn't really mind considering it was Zuko's anyway. The hours went by fast and before I knew it, it was morning. I heard Zuko stir and turned toward him. He was opening his eyes.

"Zuko…," I said gently, "are you alright?" He looked at me and then turned toward Aang. Aang started to talk to him. I would have listened but I was too fixed on Zuko. I wanted to make sure he didn't do anything stupid and that he didn't try to capture Aang.

"…do you think we could have been friends?" Aang asked. Zuko startled me. He quickly got up and went to attack Aang. Luckily, Aang escaped. I saw Zuko wince a little in pain. I quickly got up.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy?" I said. Zuko looked towards me. I gestured towards his shoulder.

"Your shoulder is still bad. You can't firebend like that! Not until I tend to it properly," I said. Zuko continued to stare at me. I could see that he was upset about something.

"We should head back to the ship," Zuko said. I nodded and followed him. We went to the ship in silence. I went in the back and changed back. When I came back, Zuko had also changed. I handed him the folded, shredded clothes.

"I'm sorry," I said and I smiled a little. He took the clothes and placed them on the floor. I sat on the passenger seat again. I eyed Zuko's shoulder. He didn't show any sign of pain but I knew it must have hurt. Especially since now he had to steer the boat.

"Is your shoulder alright?" I asked.

"It's fine," Zuko said.

"Do you want me to steer?" I offered.

"I thought you said you couldn't steer the ship?" he asked.

"I can't….but you could tell me what to do..." Zuko looked surprised. He put the boat to a stop and actually let me steer the ship. He must have been in a lot of pain, otherwise he wouldn't have let me steer. We finally reached the ship. I was glad. We both got out of the little ship and walked on deck.

"Zuko, where have you been? You missed music night," Iroh said.

"I'm tired and I'm going to bed. No disturbances," Zuko said. I could tell that something was still bothering him. I went to my room and took out the bandages that I carry with me. Before going to Zuko's room, I made a stop to the kitchen to get a bowl of water and a rag.

I gently knocked on Zuko's door and opened it slightly. Zuko didn't budge from is bed.

"I know you said no disturbances….but, I don't think I should leave your wound like that for much longer," I said quietly. I walked into his room and sat on the edge of his bed. He reluctantly sat up. I untied the cloth around his shoulder. I winced a little at the site. I soaked the rag with warm water.

"This might sting a little," I said. As softly as I could, I placed the rag on his wound. He winced in pain.

"By the way, thank you….for helping me save Aang." I began to wrap the bandages around his shoulder.

"Belle….why didn't you leave me…why are you helping me?" Zuko asked. I thought about his question. Why was I helping him? I didn't even know. I knew why I didn't leave him; because I didn't want to see him get captured. If anyone was going to capture Aang, I'd rather it be Zuko then Zhao. But that still didn't explain why I was helping him.

"Zuko….how could I leave you behind? How could I let you get captured? It wouldn't have been right…you've been kind to me…and you've been like…a friend…you and your uncle have been good friends," I said and I smiled. Zuko looked at me suspiciously. Then he sighed.

"Belle, if you want to leave, you can," he said.

"What?"

"You're not a prisoner any more." I thought about this for a moment. I was allowed to leave….but I didn't want to.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked him. I figured if he wanted me to leave then I would but he didn't answer.

"Is it okay if I stay?" I asked but he didn't answer again. I finished tying up the bandage and got up.

"All done," I said and I walked towards the door.

"Belle, if you want to stay, you can stay," he said. I smiled and was about to shut the door.

"Get some rest, okay?" I said and I shut the door.


	6. Chapter 6: Explosion! Zhao's Revenge

Chapter 6: Explosion! Zhoa's Revenge

I had to think, and fast. There was no excuse for what I had done in that village. I could have easily run away from Zuko and joined Aang but I didn't. Even though I didn't like Jun, I still wanted to stay and Aang, Katara, and Sokka knew that. I had to come up with a reason for my staying otherwise I would be considered a traitor. And if I got caught by anyone, I would surely face execution. If I could just come up with a good reason...like if I was a spy or something...that was it!

It was a very good plan. If I wasn't friends with Zuko, I would have put this plan into action. Aang needed a way to get the Fire Nation and Zuko wanted to capture Aang and bring him to the Fire Nation. So, once when Aang mastered all the elements, Zuko could "capture" Aang. Then, when Aang was near the Firelord, I would rescue him. And bada bing bada boom! Aang didn't have to fight his way through the Fire Nation and he gets directly through to the Firelord. It was the perfect excuse. I was glad that I thought of it.

Tonight was music night and Iroh was singing. I didn't really like music night. I was always afraid someone would want me to sing something and I certainly wasn't doing that. I went below deck to see what Zuko was doing. He was leaning against the wall, doing absolutely nothing. I walked up to him.

"Hello," I said. He didn't answer. "Why are here by yourself?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said.

"Two words: music night." Zuko was about to say something but then the door opened.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh said.

"For the last time uncle, I'm not playing the Sugey horn," Zuko said. I couldn't help but laugh a little. Zuko...playing the Sugey horn...that'll be the day.

"It's not that," Iroh said.

"I'm taking your crew," I could hear Zhao say. I turned around and sure enough, he was there.

"What!" Zuko said and he walked up to him. I decided to stay behind Zuko. I didn't like Zhao. He was sinister and intimidating.

"I'm preparing an expedition to the North Pole and I need your crew," Zhao said.

"Uncle, is this true?" Zuko asked.

"I'm afraid so, he's taking everyone. Even the cook," Iroh said.

"It's a shame you won't be able to witness the day the Fire Nation conquers the Water Tribe and the Avatar," Zhao said. Zuko tried to charge him but Uncle Iroh and I held him back. I watched Zhao carefully, analyzing his every move towards the two swords that hung on the wall. I saw the look in his eyes and I knew he recognized them.

I quickly looked towards Zuko in alarm. He knew too. Why the heck did he put them back on the wall anyway? Zhao took one of the swords off the wall.

"I didn't know you were skillful with bran swords, Prince Zuko," Zhao said.

"I'm not, they're antiques. Just decorative," Zuko said.

"Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?" Zhao asked. What a random question but I knew where he was going with this. I continued to hide behind Zuko.

"Just rumors. I don't think he's real," Iroh said.

"Oh, he's real all right. An enemy to the Fire Nation," he said and he looked in Zuko's direction, "but not to worry, I believe justice will catch up to him soon." I looked at his eyes and they were piercing. I was alarmed by his words. They were threatening and I was afraid for Zuko. I looked directly at Zhao with the same piecing eyes and I soon realized that that was a mistake.

"You were traveling with the Avatar," Zhao said.

"She's my prisoner," Zuko said, "I'm using her to lure the Avatar."

"What is she doing out here. Prisoners..." Zhao said and he grabbed my arm, "should be locked away." Zuko pulled me back by him and Iroh.

"She's my prisoner, and I'll do what I want. Besides, how is the Avatar going to know where she is if she's locked up?" I looked at Zhao and knew that he still wasn't convinced.

"Your prisoner will soon be useless to you anyway...General Iroh my offer still stands," and he was gone with that. I protectively wrapped my arms around Zuko's arm. Zhao was planning to hurt him. I was certain and I wasn't going to let Zhao get away with it. I wasn't going to loose anymore members of the family that I had worked so hard to build and protect. Not again.

Zuko gently broke away from my grip and walked away. The gears in my mind immediately began to turn. I made them work faster than usual. I didn't have much time. It was a gift that Zhao had showed his thoughts and emotions so clearly. Now I had to race against the time and plan three steps ahead of him. Time was the enemy.

I didn't even know what I was doing as I concentrated. I think I was with Iroh, saying goodbye to crew. But I wasn't really there. I was inside my mind, thinking and plotting. Whatever Zhao was planning, there was no doubt he would believe the plan was flawless. But every plan has flaws...especially the ones that people plan to use for killing. If I could just figure out what his plan was...maybe somehow...I could fake it...but what was he planning? We're on a ship, how can he get to Zuko when he's on a ship? An assassin wouldn't work, it's too hard to be quiet on a ship...and the enemy would need a map and would have to calculate the proper locations of each of us. So what else could he use?

I realized that Iroh and I were heading for Zuko's room. The time had flown by. Time was running out.

"The crew wanted us to wish you best travels," Iroh said. I didn't even remember any of the crew saying that.

"Good riddance to those traitors," Zuko said angrily.

"It's a lovely night for a walk, why don't you join us?" Iroh said. We're going on a walk? When the heck did I agree to that? Zuko didn't answer.

"Or sit alone in the dark, whatever you prefer," Iroh said and he left the room.

"Zuko..." I said quietly. He didn't turn to face me and he didn't answer.

"Zuko...just...be careful...I'm afraid about what Zhao said. He said "justice will catch up to him"...and I think he's going to try and hurt you...okay?" Zuko still didn't answer me. I gently shut the door and ran after Iroh. We both exited the ship and walked down the path. I still had my mind on Zhao's plan.

"You seem distant today, what is on your mind Belle?" Iroh asked.

"Hmm? Oh, I've just been thinking about something that's all," I said. But Iroh wasn't convinced.

"You shouldn't keep your emotions bottled up inside," Iroh said.

"Oh, no! It's nothing like that at all, it's just kind of like a puzzle that I'm working on. I've actually been doing pretty well...or at least I think," I said.

"Well, I am glad to hear that. But when the time does come, you should let your emotions out. Otherwise they will explode like a bomb." I jumped at those words. Bomb! That was it! I spun around towards the ship. Just as I did, I saw the ship explode. Zuko! Iroh turned around too. I immediately began running down towards the ship. I ran as fast as my legs would carry. When I finally reached the dock, I was out of breath. The flames were engulfing the ship. My mind went into a state of shock. I had let it happen again. Just when I thought I was ahead, I had run out of time. I turned to my right and saw Iroh looking at the ship as well.

Not again, not again. It's still not over. It can't be. Zuko can't be...

I didn't know what I was doing. I jumped into the water. Despite the fire, it was still cold. I quickly came up to the surface and swam. I desperately searched for Zuko. I turned and saw Zuko. He was sinking into the dark depths. I quickly went down under the water. I used all my strength to pull him up back to the surface. I desperately dragged him to the shore. I laid him down and started panting. This wasn't good. I looked down at him but I didn't think he was breathing.

_This can't be happening...it can't...Zuko...you can't be dead...you can't...I...I...love you._

I stretched my hand to touch his face. It was icy cold. Injuries covered his face and his clothes were tattered. Tears streamed down my cheeks. Iroh came to my side. How could this have happened? Zuko stirred and I immediately shot a glance at him. He was breathing! I saw him slowly open his eyes. He sat up and coughed up some water. I stared at him in disbelief. I then wrapped myself around him and cried with tears of joy. He was safe and that's all that mattered. It was funny how I only realized how much Zuko meant to me until I thought he was dead.

I realized that I had to let go of him. I didn't want to, but I had to. I stood up and wiped the tears from my eyes. Iroh hugged his nephew.

"Uncle, what do we do now?" Zuko asked. I finally managed to calm myself down and that meant that the gears were back on.

"Zhao probably thinks that you're dead...now we just need to figure out who set the ship on fire...," I said.

"It was the pirates, I saw their pet parrot," Zuko said. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate, planning out our strategy.

"Ok, here's the plan...I'm 95 sure that Zhao thinks you're dead. So, we'll give him the news that he's hoping for. I'll tell him your dead..."

"I'm getting on one of those ships to the North Pole. I have to get to the Avatar before Zhao does," Zuko interrupted.

"Belle, you cannot go and tell Zhao. Not by yourself at least. I'll go and tell Zhao," Iroh said. So much for my plan.

"So then what the heck am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"You should go home. Now that Zhao thinks I'm dead, you're not a prisoner anymore. If he finds you, there's no telling what he'll do," Zuko said.

"There is no way I'm going home. I left to find Zito...and besides there's no one waiting for me at home anyway...no one but those murderers...I'm not leaving neither of you!" I said.

"...I'm going to sneak aboard the ship. You and Uncle will tell Zhao that my death was because of pirates. We'll work out the rest later," Zuko said and he got up. Iroh and I got up as well. Our plan was set.

Iroh and I sat across from Zhao. I stared at Zhao with hatred. He tried to take something important to me and I wasn't going to forgive him. I studied every movement that he made, seeing if I could find any disadvantage. Zhao stared back at me with the same hatred. He took a cup of tea with his right hand and drank it.

"I'm terribly sorry about Prince Zuko. You must be devastated," Zhao said.

"The Firelord will not be pleased when he finds out who was responsible for this," Iroh said. I bit my tongue. I knew that if I talked, I would end up giving us away.

"Do you have any idea who it was?"

"Yes...pirates. We had a run in with them before," Iroh said. I looked closely and saw Zhao smirk. I took a sip of my tea, still eyeing him to hide the same smirk that I had. He fell for it. Zhao eyed me.

"I believe there is a jail cell with your name on it," Zhao said. What! Two guards came in and grabbed my arms.

"You get your hands off me!" I yelled.

"Prince Zuko may have let you frolic around his ship, but I won't."

The guards took me down to the jail cells. I was annoyed. This wasn't part of the plan. I was not supposed to be thrown in jail! I decided that as soon as the guards left, I would start screaming and yelling until they let me out. Plus it would drive Zhao nuts which is always fun. They threw me in one of the cells. It was dark, the only light was coming from the guards palms. I looked around the cell. There were rats and bugs on the floor. The cell had a stench so foul words can't describe it.

"You get back here and open this cell up!" I screamed. The cell was horrible. But I had to suck it up. Fear was not a factor for me.

Until the guards left and I was surrounded by darkness. I didn't dare sit down, for the fear that the rats would bite at me. They were already biting at my toes. I could feel the bugs climbing up me. I stood alone, in the dark. I didn't like it one bit. I was lonely. I was about to start screaming until I heard someone coming. I thought it must have been Iroh coming to save me. Instead, it was a soldier. Probably going to give me some food that tasted like crap. He walked over to my cell and lit a fire over his palm. The soldier took off his mask and I saw that it was Zuko.

"Belle, are you okay?" he asked. It touched my heart to find out that he cared but I decided not to show my feelings.

"Oh, yeah I'm doing great," I said sarcastically. I walked to the edge of the cell and held on to the bars. Zuko looked around to make sure the coast was clear.

"Uncle is trying to get Zhao to let you out of the cell."

"Well that's good….Eek!

"What!?"

"Nothing, a rat bit me…you know its times like these where I ask myself what the hell am I doing here?" We both heard a clang of some sort.

"I have to go, I'll be back," Zuko said.

"Please stay…" I froze as soon as I realized what I had said. No you idiot! You can't saw stuff like that in front of him! I looked down in embarrassment.

"I just….I just don't want to be alone…..in the darkness…." I tried to recover myself even though I think I made it worse.

"I can only stay for a few more minutes, remember I'm 'dead'."

"That's okay."

"Belle, thank you for saving my life."

"Zuko….I'm just glad you're okay….I…I was really scared," I said and I couldn't help but blush. Luckily, Zuko couldn't see how bright my face was. We heard another clang.

"I'll be back." Zuko put on his mask and walked away. I was in the darkness again. I waited a few moments before I went on my cursing and yelling streak.


	7. Chapter 7: The War in the North Begins

Chapter 7: The War in the North Pole Begins

I was now in winter clothing that Iroh had given me. I couldn't talk much; screaming for nearly three hours non stop really damaged my voice. I got a couple of death threats, but it was worth it. I was glad to be out of that cell. The only disappointment was that I couldn't see Zuko as much as I wanted and instead had to stay by Zhao.

I didn't like watching them attack the North Pole. I knew Aang, Katara, and Sokka were there and I didn't want them to get hurt. It hurt me even more knowing that I couldn't help them, that I was stuck on a ship. Not just any ship, the ship that was attacking them. I knew that I had to stop this somehow. But what could I do? I was torn between both sides. I was taking the middle path.

I also knew that something fishy was going on. Zhao kept talking about "the moon situation." What was he planning? He wanted to somehow get rid of the moon? What was he crazy? Zhao was the worst and I hated him. Except when he knocked this kid off the ship. That was pretty funny and I did laugh. But getting rid of the moon was a risky idea. Even Iroh tried to talk him out of it but, of course, he didn't listen. I was actually surprised to learn that Iroh had traveled to the Spirit World. I wondered what it was like...and I wondered if people who had left this world were there...mainly Lee.

It was late at night and we were meeting Zuko so he could take a ship and sneak behind the North Pole wall. I waited with much anticipation. I was nervous, what if he got caught or what if he froze to death? We entered the room and Zuko was there, preparing a small boat. I only grew more worried.

"You are fishing for an octopus, my nephew..." my mind became clouded...or paranoid. Either way, my mind was coming up with ludicrous scenarios for Zuko's future. I came back to the real world when I heard a drastic change in Iroh's voice.

"Ever since I lost my son Lu Ten," Iroh said and I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"Uncle, you don't have to say it," Zuko said.

"I consider you as my own," and I saw Iroh embrace Zuko. I felt tears coming but I suppressed them.

_Zito...did you ever think of me... as your own?_

Zuko got into the boat. My mind was made up. I was going with Zuko, whether he liked it or not and it wasn't just because I was worried about him. Just because Iroh lost one person in his life, didn't mean he had to loose another.

"Wait, I'm coming too. I'm sick of hanging out with the deranged lunatic who thinks he can kill the moon," I said and got into the boat. "Scoot over," I teased and pushed him a little.

"But, what am I going to tell Zhao?" Iroh asked.

"He's right, you're going to give us away," Zuko said.

"Just tell him I locked myself in your room or something. I can't stand another minute of listening to him," I said and I motioned to Iroh the words "I'll protect him, promise" with my lips. He grimly nodded, understanding. Before Zuko could catch on, I pushed him a little again.

"Well, help me get this boat in the water all ready, slow poke," I teased again. We both lowered the boat into the water. I could hear Iroh calling to us but I could barely understand what he said. I looked up at him and then turned and looked at Zuko. I may be in the middle now, but when the time came, I would choose their path. Of this, I was certain.

It was a miracle that we both could fit in the small boat. We kept shoving each other over to try and make room, me especially.

"Scoot over," I said.

"Shhhhhh! Do you want to get caught," Zuko hissed. I was relieved when we finally got out of the boat. We were hiding behind a chunk of ice. A couple of sea turtles were nearby. Zuko seemed to be interested in something. I just kept staring at the wall, concentrating on a plan.

"They're getting air from somewhere," Zuko observed. I immediately turned my head towards him. He was looking down at a hole in the ice and I knew what he was thinking.

"You're crazy! We'll freeze to death! There are other ways to..." But it was too late, Zuko jumped into the water. I ran over to the hole and stared at it for a few moments. He was crazy, insane. I then jumped in after him.

The water was freezing. My lungs immediately screamed for air. I could barely see Zuko but I continued to follow him. If I ended up dying I swear...

I almost ran out of air when we reached the surface. I gasped for breath. I climbed out of the water, shivering. My entire body felt frozen and my clothes were soaking wet. It was even hard for me to warm my hands with my breath. I felt Zuko wrap his arms around me and I watched in amazement as fire rose from his palms. My body immediately filled with warmth, and I don't think it was because of the fire. Zuko then rose to his feet and looked at the barking seal turtles angrily.

"Quiet!" he yelled. To my amazement, they actually stopped.

"Hey, that wasn't nice," I observed. Zuko ignored my stupid comment and walked on. I followed. We entered another area...with water.

"Oh, not the water again..." I said but Zuko jumped in and I followed once again. The previous feelings returned to my body. I don't know how long it was, but Zuko eventually seemed to find something. Except I started to run out of air and so did he. I panicked and looked for a place to get air but there was none. I watched as Zuko firebended to open up something. I suddenly felt weaker as he climbed out of the water. I started to take in water. I felt Zuko's hand pull me up. I coughed up the water in my lungs and panted.

"You're crazy! We almost got killed! Wha---"but Zuko put his hand over my mouth and looked at me angrily.

"Belle, do you ever shut up?" he hissed. I started to glare at him. Then I stopped once I saw how tired he looked and I realized that I was tired too. He took his hand off my mouth and we rested for a few minutes. I looked out at the scenery. I had been here once before, with Zito and Lee. It didn't seem to change at all. What I wouldn't give to relive those few days...

Zuko got up and continued on. I followed. It was funny how _I _was the one who promised to take care of Zuko yet he had already saved me twice. But then again, it was his fault in the first place.

I didn't pay attention to where we were going. I just looked around, spacing out. I suddenly felt warm and when I was aware of my surroundings, I noticed we near some sort of oasis. I looked and saw Katara. She gave me a shocking look but then focused her energy on Zuko. I saw Aang near the water. He was glowing. I walked over to him.

"Hey, Aang, are you okay?" I asked. Then I looked to see what he appeared to be looking at. There were two koi fish. One was black, the other white.

"Hey, Zuko, look! Fish!" I said. I continued to stare at them. They just kept going in a circle. I sat down and continued to stare. It was hypnotizing. I suddenly saw those few days that I had spent at the North Pole with Lee and Zito all over again. All the fun that we had had was happening all over again. At one point, I felt a tug on my shoulder, but I ignored it...I just wanted to relive that one part of my past. The lovely memories that had died long ago...


	8. Chapter 8: Branded a Traitor

Chapter 8: Branded a Traitor

I felt another tug. The memories slowly faded away and I could once again see the two fish swimming in the pond.

"Belle, snap out of it! Where did Zuko go!" someone yelled, furiously.

"Huh?" I replied. I was still in a fog, unaware of the previous events.

"Zuko took Aang! Where did he take him?" Katara pleaded.

"WHAT! Zuko left without me?" I realized.

"Enough of this Belle! Tell us where Zuko went, you traitor!" Sokka said. I rose to my feet.

"How DARE you call me a traitor? Don't you think that if I knew where Zuko was I would tell you?"

"Well, it's a little hard to tell since you've been HELPING HIM!" Sokka yelled.

"Well WHO left _me _a prisoner when they knew I had been captured! WHO betrayed me, hmmm? Maybe if you were smart enough, you would have figured out that there must be a REASON why I'm staying with him."

"What reason could you possibly have?"

"Both of you STOP IT!" Katara yelled. Sokka and I closed our mouths. "This isn't going to help Aang. We have to find them both."

"They must have went up there," a girl with white hair said and she pointed upward. We nodded and boarded Appa.

"Stay here Momo, in case Aang comes back," Katara said. I could see tears in her eyes.

We flew off into the blizzard. I was worried for both Aang and Zuko. Who knows where they went?

"So, Belle, why don't you tell us WHY you decided to stay with Zuko since you clearly have a reason," Sokka said sarcastically. Now was the time to reveal my "plan".

"Fine I will," I snapped, "It's really very simple. Once when Aang masters all the elements and is ready to face the Firelord, you will somehow let me know. Then Zuko will 'capture' Aang and Aang will have a safe passage directly to the Firelord. Then, when we are near the Firelord, I'll rescue Aang and he can fight Ozai and end the war. There happy? Now maybe you'll want to apologize for calling me a traitor." Sokka eyed me suspiciously but didn't say anything. I turned to Katara and the other girl but they, too, did not respond. It wasn't until maybe ten minutes later they finally started talking again.

"Belle, why did you run away anyway?" Katara asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said bitterly. I just wanted to find Zuko.

It was a good hour or two before we spotted a cave. I saw Aang squirming in the snow. And there was Zuko, trying to capture him. Katara jumped off Appa along with Sokka. I decided to hide in Appa's saddle; I didn't want Zuko thinking that I had betrayed him.

Zuko was down within minutes. Sokka went to untie Aang and I took this opportunity to check on Zuko. He was out cold. I brushed some of the snow off him.

"Come on let's go," Sokka said.

"Bu….but what about the plan?" I said. I wasn't going to leave Zuko out in the cold. He would die and I had my promise to keep.

"Forget about your plan and let's go!"

"How can you just leave someone here to die!" I said. I fought back my tears. Hear Sokka was, always complaining about all the killing that the Fire Nation had done yet he was ready to kill someone in a heartbeat.

"I thought you said you were on our side?"

"I am, but I cannot leave Zuko…I ….I made a promise to keep him safe…."

"Why would you make a promise like that?"

"Because he's my friend and I care about him!" I bit my lip as I realized what I had said. Sokka and the others looked at me in surprise.

"Why Belle, why?" Katara asked.

"I was right you ARE a traitor," Sokka said.

"…you don't even know him. You never spent time with him…if you did, you would see…" I said quietly, "….and I don't care what you think even if I have to stay here and freeze to death with him!" Aang came over to stand next to me.

"We can argue about this later but Belle is right we can't leave him here to die," he said. He then helped me lift Zuko up and we brought him to Appa's saddle.

"Thanks Aang," I whispered but Aang remained silent.

"Oh, sure let's help the guy who's always trying to kill us," Sokka said. I shot a glare at him. It hurt to watch them tie up Zuko and leave me free. They made me sit on the opposite side so I couldn't free him. On the way back all I could do was stare at him worryingly to make sure he was alright.

Suddenly, the sky turned red and I could sense something was wrong. Aang and the girl, who I found out was Yue, clasped their heads. There was something wrong with the Spirits and that was when I remembered about Zhao.

"What's happening?" Katara asked.

"It's Zhao. He said he wanted to kill one of the spirits or something so he could take the North Pole," I said. The others stared at me. "What? Oh I get it, you still think I'm a traitor…." I sighed.

"You ARE a traitor," Sokka said, "and you're lucky we don't tie you up too."

"This is exactly what Zito warned me about. Don't you get it? Don't you see? You are all looking at things just from one side. But you never once stopped to think about the other side. You don't think outside the box. It's just looking at things a different way." But the others weren't convinced. I remained silent the rest of the ride.

We finally landed and I was right. Zhao had the Moon Spirit in his clutches. I got off of Appa with the others. It was then that I realized that I didn't have any weapons. I had lost them when Zuko's ship exploded. I was screwed. I immediately let the gears start up again in my mind. I had to fight somehow…but how? I could always use……

"Whatever you do to that spirit I will unleash on you ten fold!" I heard Iroh yell. I stopped thinking and came back to the real world. It was a little shocking; I had never heard Iroh seem so angry. I looked at Zhao to see if he reacted the same way as I did. He began to place the spirit back in the water. I couldn't believe it; it seemed too good to be true.

It had all happened so fast. Zhao killed the Moon spirit. I saw Iroh attack Fire Nation soldiers. The sky turned gray. And there was Zhao, running like the coward that he truly was. I turned to see if Zuko was awake and saw that he was gone. I frantically looked around for him, but I couldn't find him. Then, everything became quiet. Uncle Iroh gently picked up the dead Moon Spirit. I walked over to him. Yue started to cry.

"There's no hope left. It's over," she said. I looked towards Aang and his eyes began to glow.

"No, it's not over," he said. His voice was no longer that of a child and it frightened me. I watched him walk in the pond. He was no longer Aang, he was now like a god, a star walking through the darkness. He was the hope that was still left. He stood in the center for a moment and then, sank into the water. The oasis began to glow and it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. A huge fish with Aang as the heart rose from the abyss of the water. It was a beautiful but terrible site. I couldn't help but gaze at it in awe. It was amazing but at the same time terrifying and I clutched onto Uncle Iroh as the creature, which one would only think existed in nightmares, walked on.

The few of us stayed behind. Iroh looked down at fish and I waited. There had to be a way to save the moon, there just had to be and I knew that I was not the one with the answer. Iroh turned at looked at Yue.

"You have been touched by the Moon Spirit," he said.

"Yes, the Moon Spirit gave me life….maybe I can give it back," she said.

"No, I won't let you. I promised your father I would protect you," Sokka said. My heart flinched at his words. I was more so sad for him than angry. He was yelling at me before for making a promise to protect Zuko meanwhile he did the exact same thing. Typical, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for him because I knew what had to be done and so did Yue.

"Sokka, I have to do this," Yue said and she let go of his grip that held them together. I watched as she placed her hands on the fish. For a moment, she was full of life and the next; she turned pale and collapsed to the ground while the fish sprung back to life. Sokka held her up and checked her pulse. He looked down at her, sadly.

"She's gone," he said and he held onto her.

"Sokka, I'm sorry," I said quietly as I thought of Zuko. Just then, Yue's body disappeared and directly in front of us, a ghostly image of her floated gracefully.

"Goodbye Sokka, I will always be with you," she said and with that, her lips gently touched his and she disappeared. While Sokka stared at the new moon in awe, I whispered to Iroh that I lost sight of Zuko. He nodded and we both quietly slipped off into the night.

Iroh and I went down to the icy water and took some debris from the battle and with it made a small raft. The raft was soon ready and, as if summoned, Zuko showed up.

"Well, it's about time you showed up," I said, "where the heck have you been?" Zuko, of course, didn't answer me.

"Zuko…," I said more gently, "why did you leave me behind at the oasis?" It had been bothering me for a while and I was eager to find the answer. He looked at me, confused.

"I didn't leave you behind, you didn't come. You weren't moving and I couldn't carry you both."

"Well, in that case, I guess I can forgive you," I teased. Zuko, once again looked confused but I ignored it. The three of us went onto the raft and Iroh set the sail. Then, the most random observation popped into my head.

"Hey, where is Zhao? He was running…..but where did he go?" I asked but I didn't think that either of them had the answer.

"….we don't have to worry about Zhao anymore," Zuko said. Now I was the one confused. Then, a horrible thought struck me and the blood drained from my face.

"…..Zuko," I whispered, "…you didn't…."

"No. Something came out of the water and took him. I tried to save him but…" I was relieved by his answer and a bit surprised. I didn't think Zuko would attempt to save.

"Well, I think that was very noble of you," I said with a smile.

"Prince Zuko, I am surprised you are not at this moment trying to capture the Avatar," Iroh observed.

"I'm tired," he replied.

"You should rest. A man needs his rest," Iroh said and he put his hand on Zuko's shoulder. Zuko laid down on the raft and closed his eyes. Iroh then turned to me.

"You should rest too, you look worn out," he said. I obeyed as well and laid down on the raft near Zuko. As I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, about three things I was absolutely positive. First, Zuko would stop at nothing until he captured the Avatar. Second, if Zuko did capture the Avatar, the world as we know it would be completely destroyed. And third, despite all of this I was unreservedly in love with him.

End Part I


	9. Chapter 9: Families Reunited!

Part II

Chapter 9: Families Reunited!

The three of us finally landed. LAND! Thank the spirits! I of course showed none of this type of emotion and we walked along the shore. It was perfect too; we ended up landing near a resort. We were making our way towards the resort when my heart suddenly skipped a beat. There was a crowd of people walking the opposite direction and they passed us. I only got a quick glance of the crowd but that was all I needed.

Without saying anything, I ran back towards the crowd.

"Belle, where are you going?" I heard Uncle Iroh call from behind me. But I didn't stop. I kept running through the crowd towards him. I ran towards Zito.

"Zito," I called as I caught up to him and threw my arms around him. I held on to him tightly as tears flowed down my face. My search was finally over. It had taken me nearly a year but it was finally over.

"Belle? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I've been searching for you, I missed you."

"I missed you too," he said and he held onto me tighter. I finally stopped crying.

"Zito, why did you leave?" I asked quietly. I felt like a small child who just wanted to be held by their parent until all the pain went away.

"I left to offer my services to the war," he said. I immediately looked up, surprised.

"But why?" I gasped in disbelief.

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt like Lee…." I immediately held on to him tighter at the mention of Lee's name.

"Belle," Zito said softly, "….I know how you've blamed yourself…..but it wasn't your fault. If it was anyone's fault, it was mine. I should have never put so much pressure on you." I only thought about his words for a few moments before I heard someone panting from behind.

"Belle! Why did you run off?" Uncle Iroh asked. I turned around and saw him and Zuko. I smiled and let go of Zito. Then, like a child, I tugged Uncle Iroh and Zuko towards him.

"Uncle Iroh, Zuko, this is Zito," I said, "Zito this is Prince Zuko and General Iroh. I met them while I was looking for you." I could tell that Zito was at first very surprised to be meeting the Prince of the Fire Nation and to know that the child he had been taking care of had now become friends with him. But his surprised expression shortly disappeared and a warm and welcoming smile spread across his face.

"It is an honor to meet you," Iroh said.

"It's an honor to meet you too. Thank you for taking care of Belle for me. I don't know what I would do if I lost her."

"It is hard …." Iroh began but I didn't listen to the rest of the conversation. I kept staring at Zuko. I saw in his eyes that he was upset. He like me; he was small the child who wanted to be held by his parent. Except he couldn't be. Even though Iroh did care about him, it wasn't the same to him. He still wanted that love from his father and I felt bad knowing that I had gotten my wish but it wouldn't be for a while before he got his. It was then that I knew that, as much as I wanted to be with Zito, I couldn't leave Zuko.

I think Zito could see the pity that I had for Zuko because the next thing I knew, he said "Belle, if you don't want to come with me, you don't have to." I then looked down, sadly as I knew that this would be our goodbye for who knows how long.

"Zito, I want to come with you…more than anything…but…I can't…Uncle Iroh and Zuko …they're my family too and I can't leave them now," I said and I turned to Zuko. He was surprised and I smiled at them. Then I grabbed them both and gave the cheesiest smile to Zito.

"Besides, you _know_ these guys are hopeless without me," I said and I let them go. Zito nodded and took out a scroll.

"If you change your mind, I'm heading to Ba Sing Sei. Here's where I'll be staying and Belle…" he said and he pulled me in closer to whisper something in my ear. "If you have to…use your power." I was surprised but I didn't show any expression on my face. I hugged Zito one last time and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you," I whispered. Zito kissed the top of my head and let me go. He walked down the path and waved goodbye to me. I waved back.

"I am glad that you decided to stay with us Belle," Iroh said. I smiled and we walked up to the resort.

The resort was one of the nicest places I had ever been to. The flowers were in full bloom and everything was so peaceful. Then again, I could have just been very excited since I had been reunited with Zito. The point was that I was happy and there was nothing that was going to change my mood.

But Zuko wasn't happy. At all. Then again, he was never really happy to begin with but this was ridiculous. It seemed with each passing minute he got gloomier and gloomier. I didn't understand it until Iroh we were waiting for Iroh to finish his misuse. I was keeping myself busy by silently asking a flower my fortune and plucking each petal off one at a time as I sat under a tree.

"…it's the anniversary isn't it?" Iroh asked. Anniversary? Did someone get married?

"Three years ago today I was banished. I lost it all. I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless." So that was why he was so depressed all day. Then I understood and I felt even worse. On the anniversary of the day that he lost everything, I found everything that I could possibly want.

"I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care?" Iroh said.

"He would have killed you if he didn't care," I said so softly I didn't think anyone heard but apparently Zuko did because he walked away.

"Erg, that came out wrong, didn't it?" Iroh asked. I got up and followed Zuko. When I caught up to him, his back was turned to me.

"Zuko, I know you're upset about today," I said, trying not to feel embarrassed by what I was about to tell him, "…but if it makes you feel better….I don't think you're worthless." Zuko didn't move nor did he seem to give any recognition to what I had just said.

"Belle," he said and I walked beside him, "why did you stay?" I felt my face turn bright red at his question but I was able to quickly think of a cover up.

"Just like I said, you're hopeless without me," I said.

Uncle Iroh and I had had a blast looking for seashells. I tried desperately to cheer Zuko up as well, but it didn't work like I had hoped but it seemed to be working. We were coming back to our nice little cottage and everything was going good.

"Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come," Iroh said and I laughed happily.

"We don't need anymore useless things. You forget we have to carry everything ourselves now," Zuko said.

"Oh, Zuko, stop being such a party pooper," I said.

"Hello brother, uncle," someone said from the corner of the room. I looked in the direction and saw a young girl sitting in a chair. She looked only a couple of years younger than me. She had a sinister look and I could have sworn I saw dark clouds forming over top of her.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked angrily.

"In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions. Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?" she asked.

"Zuzu…" I chucked. That was great ha! I almost erupted with laughter.

"Don't call me that!" Zuko yelled and I didn't know if he was talking to me or his sister. I could tell Zuko was clearly agitated by his sister's presence. Even Iroh seemed some what uneasy. I focused my attention on her and I could see the evil hidden deep within her eyes.

"…Aww, Zuzu you found a little girlfriend," she said.

"I'm not his girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" we both yelled at the same time. Though as much as I'd love Zuko to actually like me back, I still didn't want to be labeled as his girlfriend, especially by his sister.

"To what do we owe this honor?" Iroh asked cautiously.

"Hmm… must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point," she said and she broke a shell with her nails, "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him—treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust." She paused for a moment and I saw a fake face of sympathy spread across her face.

"Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home." I looked up at Zuko who was staring out the window.

"….Don't interrupt, Uncle!" his sister yelled and I jumped a little at the sound of her yell, "I still haven't heard my thank you. I am not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way."

"Father regrets? He… wants me back?" Zuko said quietly. I felt a pang in my heart and I held onto his arm. I almost started to cry again but I didn't. I knew she was lying to him and I knew that he was going to get hurt. Not physically of course, but emotionally. I didn't even dare to look at her as she walked out of the house because if I did, I would have given her a look of absolute disgust.

This was the first time that I had actually seen Zuko completely happy and I would have enjoyed it, only I knew that it wouldn't last for much longer. I sat at the table with Iroh looking down at the table, sadly while Zuko started to get everything ready for tomorrow. Iroh was starting to tell Zuko that his sister lied to him.

"Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me," Zuko was saying. Oh so that's the demon child's name.

"We care about you. And if Ozai wants you back… well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine," Iroh said and I was happy that he said "we" and not "I".

"…..I think you are exactly what you seem: a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother," Zuko said. I immediately looked up at this remark.

"Zuko!" I gasped.

"You're no better, you're happy about finding Zito but when I'm finally going home, you're suddenly unhappy. Don't you want me to be happy?"

"…Of course I do, Zuko….I…just don't want to see you get hurt," I said so quietly I could barely hear myself say it.

"I don't need you to look after me; you should have just stayed with your family." I stared at him for a moment but then shifted my gaze at the table again. A lump formed in my throat and I desperately tried to suppress it, especially when I could feel Zuko's gaze still fixed on me. He only stayed for a few moments, before he walked off. Iroh sat back next to me, just as sad as me.

It was morning and Iroh and I dashed for the boat that was supposedly taking Zuko and Iroh home. Zuko wasn't too far ahead of us so it didn't take long for us to catch up.

"Wait!" we both called. Zuko turned around and was actually smiling.

"Uncle, you changed your mind," he said.

"Well, family sticks together, right?" Uncle Iroh said and he placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. I stepped back a little, not feeling welcomed. Zuko and Iroh started walking down, but I didn't. It didn't feel right anymore to be considered apart of their family when, in reality, I wasn't. I held onto the scroll that Zito had given me the day before. I opened it and looked at the address.

"Belle," Zuko said and it startled me. I thought he had left.

"You aren't coming?" he asked. I stared at him, blankly.

"I thought….you didn't want me to come….I thought you said I should stay with my family," I said sadly. Zuko looked down, clearly not knowing what to say and I knew that he was sorry.

"But, then again, who said I had to listen to you?" I said nonchalantly, "come on! Let's go already."

The three of us were about to board the ship. We bowed respectfully to Azula though I hated every moment of it. As I scanned the soldiers it then occurred to me that once again, I didn't have any weapons. We rose from our bow and I heard Azula say something cheesy.

"….We're taking the prisoners…." someone said. I glanced at Zuko's hurt face. Then I saw Iroh begin to attack some of the soldiers. I did the same; good thing I knew how to fist fight otherwise I'd be screwed. I saw Zuko run up to Azula and I tried to follow but the stupid guards were in my way. When I finally did make it to deck of the ship, I saw Zuko on the ground, defenseless. My body moved in front of him as Azula let lightning flow through her fingertips. That was when I remembered what Zito had told me.

"_use your power."_

I concentrated as hard as I could but it was hard to concentrate with Azula coming closer and closer to us. She was about to shoot her attack directly towards us but then Iroh came and redirected the attack. I took this time to summon my chi, the chi that had remained dormant for years, that I was finally releases. I separated the positive and negative energies, though I didn't know that was what I was doing at the time, and I let the lighting flow from my fingertips and hit Azula in a non vital area. She went flying back and fell overboard. I looked off to the side.

"You're not the only one who can play with lightning bitch!" I yelled down to her. Zuko and Iroh looked at me in surprise and I don't think it was because I had just cursed of Azula. I saw the soldiers coming.

"Time to go," I said and I grabbed both of them so they would start moving.

We ran for our lives for I don't know how long. But when we finally stopped, I collapsed on the ground.

"I think we are safe for now," Iroh said. I looked over to them and saw Zuko take out a knife. I didn't fully understand what was going on but I watched in dismay as Zuko and Iroh cut their pony tails and watched them flow down the river.


	10. Chapter 10: Song

Chapter 10: Song

"I can't live like this! I wasn't meant to be a fugitive! This is impossible!" Zuko yelled. I rolled my eyes. I should have known this was going to happen. Zuko couldn't last five minutes in the wilderness by himself. I looked over to Uncle Iroh to see how he was doing and found him transfixed on a plant.

"Uncle, what are you doing?" Zuko asked. I walked over to Uncle Iroh.

"...either that or it is the white jade, said to be poisonous..." Uncle Iroh said.

"I'm going fishing," Zuko said and he walked off. I decided to follow.

"Uncle Iroh, please try not to do anything stupid," I said and I walked off. I needed to wash off anyway. I found Zuko trying to catch fish without any success. I rolled up my pants and took off my long sleeved shirt, revealing another sleeveless shirt. I made my way into the water.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked.

"I'm washing up, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"You're going to scare the fish away."

"I'm not scaring the fish away, you just can't fish if your life depended on it," I said as I rung my hair out. Zuko chose to ignore my comment and still attempted to fish. It was hopeless. Zuko couldn't catch a fish bigger than a worm but I didn't say anything.

After countless attempts of catching fish, we walked back to Iroh coming back with but one microscopic fish. We found Iroh still hovering over the plant.

"Zuko, Belle, remember that plant I was telling you about?" Uncle Iroh asked. Uh-oh.

"You didn't," Zuko said.

"I did and it wasn't the white dragon," Iroh said and he turned around to reveal that his body was covered with a rash. Zuko jumped back in either surprise or disgust or both. I just gasped. Didn't I tell him not to do anything stupid?

"When the rash reaches my throat, I will stop breathing. But look at what I found!" he said and he held up some berries, "these are bacui berries said to cure the rash……either that or they are macahoni berries that cause blindness." Zuko, frustrated, grabbed the berries from him and threw them on the ground.

"We're not taking any more chances with these plants!" he said, "We need to get help." Then he turned to me.

"Don't you have something that could help him?"

"All I have left are bandages. I don't have anything else and I don't think that's going to help. We have to go somewhere else," I replied.

"But where are we going to go. We are enemies of the Earth Kingdom and fugitives to the Fire Nation?" Uncle Iroh said.

"If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, we'll be killed," Zuko said thoughtfully.

"But if the Fire Nation finds us, we'll be turned in to Azula," Iroh said. They both paused for a moment and then nodded to each other.

"Earth Kingdom it is," Zuko said and they started to walk off.

"You know, I just love how we come to these decisions _together_," I said and followed them.

We cautiously made our way towards an Earth Kingdom village. Not to far from it, I saw a wanted poster with Iroh and Zuko's faces on it. Where the heck was I? Hello! I was the one who pushed Azula off the boat and I didn't even get on the poster! I grabbed the poster off the tree that it was hanging on.

"Can you believe this? I was traveling with the Avatar and I helped you guys get away and I don't even get my face on the poster! What do I have to do, sing and dance to get some recognition?" Zuko immediately grabbed the poster from my hand and crumpled it up. He then cast a glare at me.

"Be quiet about that! Do you want to get us killed?" he said. I bit my lip. Of course I didn't want to get him killed; I would do anything to prevent that from happening even if it meant losing my own life. We brought Iroh into a hospital. Zuko felt the need to get hats for everyone so it would be harder to recognize us. I didn't take one; after all I wasn't even on the wanted poster. A girl about my age ended up treating Iroh. I didn't like her though. I'm sure she was a nice person but I kept seeing her take glances at Zuko. We sat down while she healed Uncle Iroh.

"You must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the white jade. Much less make it into tea and drink it," the girl said. Thank goodness we had gotten Uncle Iroh here in time.

"Oops," Uncle Iroh said and I giggled a little.

"So where are you traveling from?" she asked.

"Yes we're travelers," Zuko said and he quickly got up. Oh, yeah that was so unnoticeable.

"Real smooth," I whispered and he lightly nudged me to be quiet.

"Do you have names?" she asked.

"Yes, we have names…….I'm …Lee," Zuko said and as soon as I heard that I shot a glare at him, "and this is my uncle……uhh….Mushi." Uncle Iroh frowned at this. Zuko looked back at me apologetically.

"Yes but my nephew was named after his father so we just call him Junior," Iroh said. Zuko made a face at Uncle Iroh and I began to laugh. Zuko nudged me again to stop.

"Mushi and Junior huh," the girl said. Oh yeah don't even bother to ask my name.

"What's your name?" the girl finally asked me.

"Belle, nice to meet you," I said with a little bitterness in my tone. I didn't like the fact that she was asking so many questions and she couldn't take her eyes of Zuko. But Zuko didn't notice this; he was too busy glaring at me for using my real name.

"My name is Song. Hey, why don't you stay for dinner?" Song asked.

"Sorry, but we need to be moving on," Zuko said. Yes! We need to be moving on, sorry.

"That's too bad, my mom always makes too much roast duck."

"Where do you live, exactly?" Uncle Iroh asked. I sighed. There was no way we weren't going to stay for dinner now.

We followed Song to her house where the meal was being cooked. Zuko was still angry with me for not making up a name.

"What were you thinking?" he whispered harshly.

"What? I'm not on the wanted poster, therefore I don't have to make up a name," I hissed back.

Song showed us in and we sat down for dinner. The whole entire meal I watched Song out of the corner of my eye. The only time I actually took my analytical eyes off her was when Zuko was talking about his father.

After dinner, I saw Zuko go outside. I knew it was best to leave him alone but of course Song went out there. I wasn't going to let her be alone with him so when she shut the door, I kept it opened just a bit and watched.

"Can I join you?" she asked gently as she seated herself next to him, "I know what you've been through, we've all been through it...The Fire Nation has hurt you." I then saw Song reach out to touch her scar and my face immediately turned red with jealousy.

Zuko grabbed her wrist and she put her hand down.

"It's okay, they've hurt me too," she said and she lifted up a part of her dress revealing a scar. I saw Zuko's shocked expression and then I walked away, my face still red.

"…the Fire Nation has hurt you…..they've hurt me too," I mimicked as I walked somewhere in the house. I didn't even know where I was going and I didn't care.

"What did you say?" Uncle Iroh asked. I hadn't seen him there and I jolted at the sound of his voice.

"Nothing," I said lightly. He eyed me suspiciously.

"It seems to me that you are a bit jealous," Iroh said wholeheartedly.

"I'm not jealous," I snapped but I quickly said "sorry" after I realized what I said.

"Belle, I know that you have feelings for my nephew. I see it every time you are with him."

"You're not going to tell him are you?" I asked quickly.

"You're secret is safe with me," he said and I smiled.

"Can we please leave now? I don't want to end up snapping at Song too," I whispered. Uncle Iroh nodded and we walked outside.


	11. Chapter 11: Going Our Separate Ways

Chapter 11: Going Our Separate Ways

I angrily walked over to Zuko. This had gone far enough. I saw him putting away his Blue Spirit Mask in a tree. Although I did love the sword that he managed to "find" for me, stealing was wrong and I wasn't going to let him do it anymore.

"What are you doing?" I asked him. He quickly turned around.

"Uh…nothing," he said. I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him.

"You're a terrible liar. Zuko, this isn't right and I'm warning you, you better cut it out. I won't tell Uncle Iroh but if you don't stop it, I'll take that stupid mask away from you," I said and I knew it wasn't the best threat in the world. His gaze didn't seem to change so I spun around and walked away. I trotted through the forest and sat down against a tree. I looked around and began to day dream. Mostly about Zuko. He was so torn up inside and so lost and no matter what I or Iroh told him, he wouldn't listen. If only he could see that he had his honor with him the whole time………..to me at least……and if only I could tell him how I really feel about him but I knew I couldn't. It would probably only make him even more confused than he already was.

Within about an hours time span, I got up and walked back to the cave. Zuko was coming out and I could tell that something was troubling him. He walked past me.

"Where are you going?" I asked softly. I didn't know why I bothered asking the question because I knew he wasn't going to answer. I went to follow him but I felt Iroh put his hand on my shoulder.

"Let him go. He needs time to think," Uncle Iroh said.

I waited anxiously for Zuko to come back. I stalked the mouth of the cave until he finally came back and I smiled. But he barely looked at me and I knew something was wrong.

"Uncle, I thought a lot about what you said."

"You did? Good, good," Iroh said from behind.

"It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling with each other. I need to find my own way," and as soon as he said that I felt my heart sink. Zuko walked out of the cave and I followed. He grabbed a pack and continued to walk away. I caught up to him and took his free hand.

"Zuko….please don't go…." I said softly and I felt my eyes turn glassy.

"Belle, I have to do this," he said and he broke away from my grip.

"But….I…," I started to say.

"Wait!" Iroh called from behind and he handed Zuko the reins to the ostrich horse with his now free hand. Zuko got on the creature and looked back at me and Uncle Iroh. I then watched as he rode off.

I waited a few minutes and then turned to Uncle Iroh.

"I'll leave you a trail," I said.

"What?" but I didn't have time to explain. I jumped up into the trees and began to go in the direction of Zuko. There was no way he was leaving me behind again.

When I caught up with Zuko, I stayed in the trees. I didn't want him to see me, otherwise he would end up taking me back. I began to leave a trail by tying some of my bandages to low trees.

We had been traveling for a couple of hours. Then, I missed the tree branch and screamed. I came crashing to the ground.

"Ow," I said and I checked to see if I broke any bones. I didn't even notice that Zuko was looking down at me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, a little annoyed. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Heh heh, funny you should mention that," I said. He waited for an answer. I sighed and looked down at the ground. I didn't want him to see my face turn red.

"I came…..because I …..I didn't …." I fumbled as I took a slight glance upward. Zuko looked down at me, confused, and I knew that he didn't get it.

"…..because you're not the boss of me, that's why!" I recovered quickly. Zuko's expression changed to anger. Despite this, he reached out his hand.

"Get on," he said with reluctance. I looked into his amber eyes for a moment.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked, clearly not catching on. I took his hand and he helped me up onto the ostrich horse. I held onto him and we continued to ride off into the distance.


	12. Chapter 12: Zuko Alone, Well Not Really

Chapter 12: Zuko Alone……Well Not Really

I lost count of the days we traveled. I was so tired….and hungry….and thirsty. Zuko was just as bad. His face became thinner and he was pale. Probably because he was doing most of the riding and I felt like dead weight. I was fine for the first couple of days, but after that my body practically shut down. Zuko had to sometimes put me in the front of the ostrich horse so I wouldn't fall off. I had never felt so weak before in my life.

Zuko took a sip of the last bit of water that we had. He then handed it to me and I took a sip as well. _Why the hell did I get myself into this? _I thought. Then I rested my head on the back side of Zuko's shoulder and I remembered.

Zuko led the ostrich horse into a small village. He rode up to a store got down. I slumped down as well and groaned. We walked over to the man.

"Could I get some water, a bag of feed, and something hot to eat?" Zuko asked the man. Yes, something hot to eat would be nice. Zuko gave him the little money that we had.

"Not enough here for a hot meal. I can get you two bags of feed," the man said. So what are we supposed to do, eat the frickin' bird food? I almost collapsed to the ground in despair. I then heard someone laughing and looked down. A couple of kids were giggling from the corner. I saw one of them take an egg and throw it at a couple of soldiers that were playing a game of craps behind us.

"Hey," one of the soldiers yelled from behind, "you throwin' eggs at us stranger?" What, is this guy from the mafia? Then I remembered those men that had broken into our home…and took Lee away. These thugs were the same and my eyes immediately filled with hatred.

"No," Zuko answered.

"You see who did throw it?" the soldier asked.

"No."

"Is that your favorite word, 'no'?" a different soldier asked.

"Egg had to come from somewhere," the first one said. How childish to be fighting over a stupid egg and who threw it. What are they, four?

"Maybe a chicken flew over," Zuko replied. The merchant finally came back and placed the bird feed on the counter. Thank goodness, I wanted to get away from the thugs as quick as possible. Then, the leader of the crew took the feed off the counter.

"Thanks for your contribution," he said. I immediately turned around, now suddenly full of life again.

"Hey, that's ours!" I yelled. The soldier turned around and looked toward us.

"You should tell your girlfriend to hold her tongue."

"I AM NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND!" I yelled even louder. Zuko grabbed me and put his hand over my mouth. I tried to speak, but I couldn't. I tried to pry his hand off of my mouth but his grip was too strong and I was too weak still.

"Belle, calm down," he whispered. I let go of his hand and relaxed. He then took his hand off my mouth. I looked back at the soldier, who was still standing there.

"As I was saying, you better leave town. Penalty for staying is a lot steeper than you can afford stranger," he said and he pat his handy dandy hammer which stood at his side, "Trust me." I heard the merchant say something to Zuko but I didn't listen. I just kept staring in the soldier's direction, thinking of Lee.

"Belle, come on," Zuko said gently. It was then that I realized that a tear was on my cheek. I wiped it away and followed him. He helped me back up on the ostrich horse. As he was about to climb up, the boy that had thrown the egg popped from the other side of the horse.

"Thanks for not ratting me out," he said. Zuko got on behind me and we started to ride away.

"I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you. Come on, I owe you," the boy said and he took part of the reins of the horse. I leaned on Zuko's chest and closed my eyes as the boy led us to his home.

"Belle," Zuko whispered and he nudged me a little. I opened my eyes. We were approaching a small farm. Zuko and I got off the ostrich horse as the boy led him to the stables. I saw a man walking toward us who I guessed was the boy's father.

"You a friend of Lee's?" the man asked. My heart jumped, as it always did, at the sound of that name. I looked down at the boy again and watched him. Then, as if by magic, I could see Lee, my Lee. I was alarmed by this and I could feel the muscles in my body tightening. I saw Zuko looking at me with the corner of his eye, concerned. I remembered that I couldn't just burst into tears here; I had to be extra cautious of what I said and did. I then took my gaze off of Lee.

"Gansu could use some help on the barn. Why don't you two work for a while, and then we'll eat," Lee's mom, who I later learned was Sela, said. Zuko nodded and then followed Gansu. I felt lost as he left me behind with Sela.

"You can help me make supper," Sela said to me. I nodded and followed even though I knew the whole cooking thing was going to be a problem since I couldn't cook if my life depended on it. Luckily, Sela handed me a small basket and made me get eggs. When I came back, Sela made me do the easy parts of the cooking so I ended up not making a fool of myself. I was relieved when Zuko came back. We both sat down with Lee's family and ate. When dinner was done and we had cleaned up, Zuko and I headed to the barn. I laid down on a pile of hay and immediately closed my eyes.

I woke up when I heard someone yell. I looked around the barn, but there was no one there. Then, I turned to Zuko. He was talking in his sleep. I walked over to him and was about to wake him, until he mentioned his mother. I stopped dead and listened. As I listened, I held the lump in my throat down. When his talking ceased, I placed my hand on his shoulder, hoping that maybe somehow that would make his pain go away.

I heard someone coming and immediately pretended to be asleep. It was Lee. I heard him shuffling around, possibly grabbing something, and then leaving. I opened my eyes and, to my surprise, found Zuko with his eyes opened too. I quickly rose up and blushed. Then, I got up and looked around the barn to see what Lee had taken. It didn't take me long to figure it out.

"Hey, Zuko, Lee took your swords," I said. Zuko actually didn't get mad that I mentioned his real name and walked out of the barn. Once again, I followed him. We found Lee practicing with Zuko's swords in a sunflower patch.

"You're holding them wrong," Zuko told Lee. My eyes lit up at the sight of Lee. I watched as Zuko taught Lee how to use the broad swords. I smiled happily as I watched them together probably because I saw this as how my Lee would react to Zuko and I was happy. When they were finished, we headed back to the barn.

"I think you would like my brother Sen Su. He used to teach me this stuff all the time," Lee said as we walked back to the barn.

The next morning those thugs arrived at the barn. My eyes went from happiness and tranquility to anger and disgust.

"What do you want, Gow?" Gansu asked.

"Just thought someone ought to tell you, your son's battalion got captured. You boys here what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?" Gow said. If Zuko didn't hold me back, I would have knocked his teeth out right then and there. Gow was coming forward but Zuko moved our ostrich horse in his way. I gave Gow the worst look one could possibly imagine.

"Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?" Gow asked and he rode off. I continued to stare in their direction with complete and utter hatred.

"…When my dad goes, will you stay?" Lee was asking Zuko.

"No. I need to move on. Here, I want you to have this," Zuko said and I looked in his direction. Zuko was giving Lee a knife. I recognized it from before….after we ran from Azula. "Read the inscription."

"Made in Earth Kingdom," Lee said. Oh Jeez Louise.

"The other one," Zuko said.

"Never give up without a fight," Lee said. With a sudden jolt, Zuko got the ostrich horse riding. I nearly fell off.

"You know, you could warn me next time," I said. Zuko didn't say anything and just kept riding.

"….I think that was very nice of you," I said to him but once again he didn't respond.

We stopped for a rest. I would have gone to sleep, except Zuko started to talk in his sleep again.

"…Azula always lies, Azula always lies, Azula always lies," Zuko was saying. Then, Sela pulled up and I couldn't help but feel that something was wrong.

"The thugs from town came back as soon as Gansu left. When they ordered us to give them food, Lee pulled a knife on them. I don't even know where he got a knife! Then they took him away. They told me if he's old enough to fight, he's old enough to join the army. I know we barely know you, but…." She said and she started to cry. The color flushed from my face. It was happening all over again…..I felt myself trembling.

"I'll get your son back," Zuko said. He got up on the ostrich horse and, without hesitating, I jumped on too.

The sun was beginning to set when we reached the village. I saw Lee tied up. We both got off the horse. I made sure I had my sword ready.

"Let the kid go," Zuko said.

"Who do you think you are, telling us what to do?" Gow said.

"It doesn't matter who I am but I know who you are. You're not soldiers. You're bullies. Freeholders, abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army. You're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war," Zuko said. As he said these words, I felt my heart soften. It was almost as if he wasn't talking about this Lee and these thugs. It was almost as if he was talking about _my _Lee and the thugs who had taken him away from me.

"Are you going to let this stranger insult you like this?" Gow asked one of his soldiers. Two of them charged us. With a simple motion of my sword, I knocked one of them to the ground. I turned to Zuko, who did the same. A few more came towards us, but we had them running within seconds. The only one that remained was Gow. I got my sword ready, but Zuko put his hand in front of me.

"He's mine," he said. I put my sword down and nodded. I watched as Gow thrust huge boulders towards Zuko. I had to dodge some as well. I cringed as some of them hit him. I saw a powerful attack coming from Gow.

"Behind you!" Lee called but it was too late. A huge rock erupted from the ground and hit Zuko in the chest. I ran over to him.

"Zuko, Zuko wake up…please," I whispered. I saw him move a little and I became relieved. Then, someone grabbed me and I saw Gow.

"LET ME GO!" I yelled. I was more worried about Zuko then myself. I looked back and him. I saw him get to his feet and a circle of fire appeared around him. Gow immediately let me go. I watched as Zuko used his firebending to defeat Gow. When Gow was on the ground, I walked over the Zuko.

"Who…who are you?" Gow asked Zuko.

"My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai. Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne," he answered.

"Liar," someone called from the crowd, "I heard of you. You're not a prince, you're an outcast! His own father burned and disowned him." I was hurt by his words and I knew Zuko was too even though he didn't show it. I saw Zuko take the knife from Gow and walk over to Lee. Sela, however, went in front of him.

"Not a step closer," she said.

"It's yours, you should have it," Zuko said as he offered the knife back to Lee.

"No. I hate you!" Lee yelled. I was in complete shock and the image of my Lee immediately faded. Zito _was_ right. I thought that people like them could change but I was dead wrong. I felt myself immediately fill with anger.

"….What is wrong with you people!" I said and everyone looked at me, surprised, "Zuko just saved that kid's life and he taught those thugs a lesson. Yet here you stand, treating him like a piece of crap! Just because he's Fire Nation! I hear how you talk and say that the Fire Nation is ruthless and cruel….but what the hell are you doing now? What makes you any different from them! Zuko is a good person and I'm not just going to stand by and watch you insult him!" I grabbed Zuko's arm and tugged him forward.

"Come on, we don't need this. Let's get out of here," I said angrily. Zuko got on the ostrich horse and so did I. We rode past the angry crowd and out of the village. I was still angry with all of them.

"Belle, did you really mean that?" Zuko asked. My face felt red again but I ignored it.

"Of course I did," I said and I held onto Zuko tighter than usual, "and you know _my_ Lee would have never done that to you." I rested my head on the back of his shoulder again and closed my eyes as we rode into the sunset


	13. Chapter 13: The Chase is On

Chapter 13: The Chase is On

Our ostrich horse galloped as we followed a ginormous machine with a fire insignia on it. I knew it must have been Azula due to the fact that Zuko was very determined in catching up to it. He looked both angry and determined and I was worried. Not to mention, since we were riding so fast, I couldn't stop to leave a trail for Iroh.

We were approaching a small, deserted village. It was like a ghost town, long and forgotten. Zuko rode quickly down an alley. I could hear voices up ahead. Two figures became clear at the end of the alley. One was Aang, while the other was Azula.

"Do you really want to fight me?" Azula was asking. Zuko got off the ostrich horse and landed in a crouching position.

"Yes, I really do," he said as he threw his hat off. I got off of the ostrich horse and took out my sword. I decided to avoid using firebending as much as possible.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, ZuZu," Azula said.

"Zuzu," Aang snickered and I had to control myself so I wouldn't burst into laughter.

"Back off Azula! He's mine," Zuko said and I became alarmed at his words. I couldn't let him capture Aang, despite how much I cared about him.

"I'm not going anywhere," Azula replied. We all stood there for a moment. I had to think fast about what I was going to do. I had to protect Aang AND Zuko who were against each other. The only option was to attack Azula but I knew she was too strong for me to use only my sword. I would have to use firebending but I could barely control that.

Suddenly, Azula shot a blast of blue fire at me and Zuko. Zuko blocked it with a wall of fire but it still sent us flying. I got up, took my sword, and charged Azula. She sent some fire blasts my way but I blocked them with the sword. I only got in a few swings before Azula knocked the sword out of my hand. I quickly shot a fire blast back at her, with difficulty, and she fell back. I saw Zuko coming and I stepped back to grab my sword as he attacked her. I ended up landing next to Aang. Azula fired shots at him but I once again blocked them.

"Aang, run," I said. Aang ran around Azula. I saw Azula run to catch him and followed along with Zuko. Aang ran up into a deserted building. Zuko ran ahead of me into the building. Apparently, there weren't any floors because Zuko ran in mid air and fell to the ground. I jumped down to help him up. Azula soon followed and I saw her grinning menacingly. She shot a huge fire blast towards us. Zuko and I made a fire shield but her blast still got through and once again we were sent flying back. I struggled to get up but Zuko remained on the ground. I stood next to him, guarding him. I saw someone approaching us, and smiled.

"Uncle Iroh!" I exclaimed. We leaned over Zuko, who was now opening his eyes.

"Uncle…" Zuko said.

"Get up," Uncle Iroh said and he helped him up. The three of us ran to catch up with Azula. We found her, and she ended up running into Iroh. She bounced up and looked confused. I looked to the side and saw Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Aang closing in. The three of us joined in as we enclosed Azula.

"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done," Azula said and she raised her arms, "I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor." I looked closely at her. I could see she was planning something. She was a strategist, just like me, except she had the will to harm others. Within seconds, a shot of fire flowed from her fingertips. I suddenly heard Uncle Iroh yell in pain. I quickly turned to Azula, and shot lightning at her with all my strength. I saw that the others attacked her too. I burnt my hand a little because I had summoned it too fast but I didn't care. She blocked our attacks but also caused an explosion. When the smoke cleared, she was gone.

Zuko knelt down to Iroh and groaned in frustration. My mind shut down again as I, too, knelt by Iroh. I put my hands on Zuko's shoulders, trying to calm him down. The others ran over to us.

"Get away from us!" Zuko yelled in frustration.

"Zuko, I can help," Katara said. Katara, now is not the time.

"Leave!" he yelled as he unleashed a wave of fire over them. A moment later, I heard them run away but I didn't look back. I checked Iroh for a pulse. Please, please let there be a pulse. Luckily, there was and I relaxed a little. I looked over to Zuko, who was still shaken up.

"Zuko, I'm not going to let anything happen, promise. But I need to you to calm down," I said. I desperately needed him to calm down; otherwise I might panic as well. Zuko never took his eyes off me and Iroh as I bandaged up Uncle Iroh's wound. I also took some of the water that we had gotten from that other village to cool the wound. It was a little nerve wracking knowing that someone was hovering over me and a couple of times I felt my hands trembling.

"….we should get him away from the fires," I said.

"You're not holding your weight!" Zuko yelled.

"I'm not holding my weight!? He probably weighs at least twice as much as do!" I shot back as we both tried to carry Uncle Iroh away from the fire. The bickering didn't stop until we reached a safe spot. I placed him down gently and sat in dismay. She had beaten me. Both of our minds had been working frantically to beat the other but she had won. I wasn't going to let her win like that ever again. Just then, the ostrich bird came by. I stared at it, dumb founded. I turned and Zuko had the same expression.

"Why the heck didn't we use the bird to carry Uncle Iroh over here!" I exclaimed.

"Why didn't you think of it before!?"

"Me, what about you!? You could of thought of it too!" The argument could have gone on for hours, but we decided to stop. I turned my gaze to Uncle Iroh.

I looked up at Zuko and saw that he was still wasn't okay. I tried to think of something I could say to him, something that would comfort him, but I failed. I felt a sharp, stinging pain in my hand. I looked at it, and remembered that I had injured it before. Zuko saw it too, and he handed me the pouch of water in silence. I silently bandaged up the wound. Zuko and I stayed up the rest of the night in silence.


	14. Chapter 14: Love Heals Part I

Chapter 14: Love Heals Part I

Uncle Iroh began to open his eyes. Zuko and I looked down at him with concern.

"Uncle….you were unconscious. Azula did this to you," Zuko said. Iroh attempted to get up but winced in pain. I gently motioned for him not to move.

"It was a surprise attack," Zuko said. For once, the best prize was not a surprise.

"Somehow, that's not so surprising," Uncle Iroh replied. I helped him sit up and lean against the wall. Zuko took two cups of tea and handed one to me and Uncle Iroh.

"I hope I made it the way you like it," he said. I saw Iroh take a sip and his eyes widened. I took a sip too and refrained from spitting it out. It tasted like mud mixed grass.

"Mmm, good. That was very…uh….bracing," Uncle Iroh said. Zuko handed him another cup but he tossed it out the window when Zuko was looking away. Zuko handed me another cup too and I gaped at Iroh. Lucky, he was near a window and now I had to drink more of this horrible tea. But I did it anyway and this time, I didn't flinch.

"So uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her," Zuko said.

"No, she's crazy and she needs to go down," Uncle Iroh said. I chuckled at this remark but quickly stopped when I saw Uncle Iroh trying to stand. "It's time to resume your training."

I was grateful when Uncle Iroh made tea. I took a small cup of it but ostracized myself a little from them. I didn't feel as though I should be listening in on the training.

"….To perform the technique requires peace of mind," Iroh was saying.

"I see. That's why we're drinking tea, to calm the mind," Zuko observed.

"Oh yeah! Good point," Uncle Iroh said and I almost choked on my tea. When we finished, Uncle Iroh led Zuko outside. I didn't get up and they both noticed this.

"You know Belle, you can train and learn as well," Uncle Iroh said.

"…I don't think that's such a good idea…" I said quietly.

"Belle, you have a gift and you've been keeping it inside you. It's time to let that power that has been sleeping inside of you out," Uncle Iroh said. I thought about what he said and then I thought of Azula. I was going to beat her in this game of strategy and to do it; I needed to learn how to control my firebending. I got up and followed them out of the little shack.

Uncle Iroh led us just outside of the village.

"There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together. You provide release and guidance, creating lightning," Uncle Iroh told us. Zuko and I stepped back as we watched Uncle Iroh create lighting. I stared in amazement, but also soaked in everything. So that's what I had been doing when I hit Azula. I'm surprised I didn't kill her.

"I'm ready to try it!" Zuko said, eagerly.

"Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first," Uncle Iroh said. Oh so that would explain why I got burnt when I angrily tried to hit Azula and force the lightning at her. I watched as Zuko tried to bend lightning but instead a huge explosion came and knocked him down.

While Zuko kept causing explosions, Iroh was helping me try to control my firebending. I didn't find it too difficult but I was determined. As Iroh was teaching me, my mind was racing, thinking of ways to bring Azula down. She had hurt Zuko in more ways than one and she almost took Uncle Iroh away. I wasn't going to let her tear my family apart.

I was panting by the time we were done for now. We watched one more time as Zuko created another explosion.

"Why can't I do it? Instead of lightning, it keeps exploding in my face!" he said in frustration and then I heard his voice fault, "Like everything always does!" I looked into his eyes and he looked like he was about to cry but he held it in. It hurt to see him like this, but I felt helpless.

"I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you," Uncle Iroh said.

"What turmoil?" Zuko asked angrily.

"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away."

"But I don't feel any shame at all! I'm as proud as ever!"

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the object of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

"Well… my life has been nothing but humbling lately," Zuko said and he looked down. I wrapped my arms around his arm to comfort him.

"I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself!" Uncle Iroh said. I saw Zuko smile and I let go. Then Zuko looked at me. I felt as though I was being examined. It looked like Zuko was thinking, but of what I wasn't sure.

"…..Belle……" he said and my heart suddenly gave a jolt, "….how can you firebend? You look like you're from the Earth Kingdom but you can firebend. Why?" My heart sank a little but I knew this question would come up eventually. I looked away from him and Uncle Iroh.

"…because my father….was a firebender," I said softly.


	15. Chapter 15: Two Worlds Coming Together

Chapter 15: Two Worlds Coming Together

"My mother was my age when the Fire Nation came into our village. My father was a new recruit and was sent to occupy the village. They met in the village market place," I began. As I told the story, I could see the image in my mind. The image of my mother, about to leave the market with a full basket, noticing a young soldier standing nervously not too far from her, appeared in my mind. Then, just as Zito had told me many times, my mother walked up to him.

"Hello," she said to him.

"….hello…" my father said back, clearly confused about the encounter.

"Aren't you a little young to be a soldier?" my mother teased. Just as my father's face turned red, my mother quickly turned at the sound of her name.

"Siyori!" someone called.

"Uh-oh," she said.

"It was nice to meet you," my mother said and she darted off.

"…..My mother was part of one of the noble families. Zito and her were friends but she still didn't like being stuck in the estates. So, whenever she could, she would go to the village and she would always spend time with my father….." I continued and once again the image appeared in my head.

"…..Micio," my mother said as she sat on the ledge with my father standing next to her. She was looking out at the night sky.

"What?" my father asked. My mother remained silent for a while.

"…..Why does there have to be a war?" she asked softly.

"…I….I don't know….." my father answered. He put his arms around her as her eyes filled with tears.

"…Is it wrong for me to love you?" she asked softly.

"No….I don't think it is," he answered. She buried her face into his chest.

"…..When my mother became pregnant with me, she went to Zito for help. He agreed to claim that he was the father and my parents' secret was safe. My father would come and visit me and my mother as often as he could. Then one day, when I was five…."

"Hey mom! Look at what I can do!" I said as I made a small fire in the palm of my hand. My mother smiled but she also looked grim.

"Belle, listen to me. Your firebending is a secret. You can't tell or show anyone."

"Is it a game?"

"Yes…it's a game." I remembered Zito walking in and his face was grim. My mother walked over to him and they whispered briefly. Then, my mother took me somewhere.

"Mom, where are we going?"

"We're going to play another game," she said cheerfully.

"What game!" She opened up a spot in the floor.

"Now listen to me, Belle. You have to hide here and don't make a sound. You can't let anybody find you. If they do, then we'll lose the game. No matter what, you can't let anyone know you are here. Even if they call your name."

"What about Zito or dad?"

"Only for them."

"Are they playing too?"

"Yeah…." she said and she held me, "I'll be back soon." That was the last time I ever saw my mother.

"…..I don't know how but the village found out about my parents. And a mob of people went to where the Fire Nation soldiers were staying….they drove the soldiers out of town…except for my father…they took him….my mother tried to save him…but…."

"Belle," Zito said from above. He lifted me up and began to carry me.

"Where's mom and dad?" I asked him but he didn't answer.

"….they killed both my parents….and after all the years, they still wanted to kill me too. The thugs that broke into my home and took Lee….they weren't after him…they were after me but they picked the wrong kid…."


	16. Chapter 16: Love Heals Part II

Chapter 16: Love Heals Part II

I didn't look up at Zuko or Uncle Iroh as I told my story. I could feel Zuko's gaze on me and I knew that he felt sorry for asking me this question. I didn't want him to feel bad so I took his hand and tugged him a little to the floor.

"Come on, Zuko, I can't keep boring you with my story. You have to learn this new move so you can beat Azula to a pulp," I said as cheerfully as I possibly could. We both sat down as Uncle Iroh began to explain by drawing pictures in the dirt.

"Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want. Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor!" Uncle Iroh said and I laughed as I thought of Aang, "Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

"Why are you telling me these things?" Zuko asked.

"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale," he said as he drew a line that separated the elements, "Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole."

"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff," Zuko observed.

"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But, it can make you more powerful too," Uncle Iroh said and he poked Zuko with his stick. I giggled. "You see, the technique I am about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders."

I just observed as Uncle Iroh tried to teach Zuko to redirect lightning. I understood that this move was meant for Zuko and Zuko alone.

"Great! I'm ready to try it with real lightning!" Zuko said.

"What, are you crazy? Lightning is very dangerous," Uncle Iroh said. I walked over to them.

"I thought that was the point. You teaching me how to protect myself from it," Zuko said.

"Yeah but I'm not going to shoot lightning at you!" Uncle Iroh exclaimed. Zuko then turned toward me.

"What are you crazy? I'm just learning how to control my firebending," I said.

"If you are lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all," Uncle Iroh said. I saw Zuko look out at the horizon, where dark clouds were forming.

"Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning," Zuko said. He grabbed the ostrich horse's reins and began to ride off.

"Zuko, wait!" I called. He only looked back at me for a moment but in that moment I was able to see all his pain in his eyes. I was about to go after him, until Uncle Iroh motioned me not to.

"Belle, this time you need to leave him alone," Uncle Iroh said.

"But he'll get himself killed!" I exclaimed and then I thought about when I was in pain about Lee. I remembered bursting into tears in front of Zuko and I remembered holding onto him. Even though we weren't exactly friends at the time, he was still there. He was there when I needed to cry and now, he needed to cry too, of this I was certain, but no one would be there for him. He would be alone….and I knew that feeling too and it was far worse then when there was someone there for you.

"I'm sorry Uncle Iroh, but I can't stay behind just yet," I said and I ran after Zuko.

The rain poured down on me as I climbed to the top of the mountain. When I reached the top, I saw Zuko kneeling on the ground, in frustration. I slowly walked over to him. Despite the rain, I still saw tears running down his face and it broke my heart. I gently placed my hand on his shoulder and knelt down beside him. I wrapped myself around him and held onto him. I rested my head on his shoulder. I felt him looking down at me but I only held him tighter. Tears fell down my face for him. Why? Why did these horrible things have to happen to him? I cried even more as I thought of this. I not only cried for him, but myself as well. Why did my parents have to die? Why did Lee have to die? Why were these horrible things happening to both of us? I felt Zuko put his arms around me, to comfort me as I was doing for him. We sat there as the rain poured down on us, crying for ourselves and each other.


	17. Chapter 17: The Return of Jet

Chapter 17: The Return of Jet

We were on our way to Ba Sing Se! I was excited, especially since I knew Zito would be there. Zuko didn't seem too happy about the whole situation but Iroh clearly was. He had the straw flowered hat going on and everything. So good!

"Look around, we're not tourists, we're refugees," Zuko was saying. He took a sip of ….something that tasted like crap and spat it out over board. "I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt... I'm tired of living like this" I placed a hand on his shoulder but he ignored the gesture.

"Belle?" someone called from behind. I turned around and who I saw before me left me in utter shock: Jet. I shot a glare at him.

"Weren't you with Aang?" he asked as if nothing was wrong. Everything was handy dandy to him. I didn't by his sweet talking one bit. He may have fooled Katara, but he wasn't going to fool me.

"We got separated," I said bitterly, "and then I met…"

"My name's Jet," he said to Zuko, "and these are my freedom fighters, Smellerbee, and Longshot." They all exchanged their hellos but I protectively stayed by Zuko.

"Here's the deal I hear the Captain's eating like a king, while us refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?" Jet said.

"Whatever you're planning Jet, you will leave us out of it!" I yelled.

"What sort of "king" is he eating like?" Uncle Iroh asked, ignoring me.

"The fat, happy kind. You want to help us "liberate" some food?" I looked toward Zuko.

"I'm in," Zuko said. I took his arm and pulled him a little.

"Uh, Lee, can I talk to you for a sec," I said and I pulled him away from Jet, "Don't get involved with Jet. He can't be trusted."

"I'm getting _real _food," Zuko said and he walked away from me. I groaned in frustration and began to curse under my breath.

I watched them steal the food but I didn't help. The excuse I came up with was we were stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Like that guy….in that story…..I forgot the name. I also watched Jet hand out food to everyone, in disgust. I didn't trust him one bit. I sat next to Zuko and folded my arms across my chest. I didn't take my eyes off Jet as he still passed food to everyone.

"So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man," Uncle Iroh said.

"Maybe it's because I'm not a man. I'm a girl!" Smellerbee yelled. I had to control myself and hold in my laughter.

"From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall," Jet said.

"It is a magnificent sight," Uncle Iroh said.

"So you've been there before?" Jet asked.

"Once, when I was a different man."

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of. But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning. A second chance." I thought about his words for a moment and I wanted to believe him. But I knew, that if he found about Uncle Iroh and Zuko, he would stop at nothing until he saw them behind bars. Or worse. I ate some of the food, still feeling insecure.

That night, I didn't sleep. I looked out at the sea like I did when I was on Zuko's ship. I suddenly heard something flying overtop of us. I looked up and saw Appa but for once, I didn't care. I continued to think.

Ever since the incident on the mountain, Zuko had been pushing away from me. At least, that's what it seemed like. I couldn't figure it out.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked and he came up to me.

"No," I said flatly.

"What's wrong?"

"Jee, I don't know, maybe it's because you won't trust me and stay away from Jet!" Zuko was about to say something but I immediately shut him down, "Lee you don't know him. Taking down the Fire Nation is his only goal in life. If he finds out…he will stop at nothing until he sees certain people behind bars."

"I know what I'm doing Belle."

"Fine, but then when you get yourself in jail, don't come…." But I stopped myself when I realized what I was going to say. I looked away. The sun was slowly coming up. Jet walked over to us. I glared at him and then walked away.

We showed the customs woman our passports.

"So, Ms. Belle, Mr. Lee, and Mr.… umm Mushy is it?" the woman said in a droned voice.

"It's pronounced Moo-shee," Uncle Iroh said.

"You tellin' me how to do my job?" the woman snapped.

"Uh, no, no. But may I just say that you're like a flower in bloom, your beauty intoxicating," Uncle Iroh said. I chuckled a little and Zuko had to nudge me to stop.

"You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself handsome. Raorrr. Welcome to Ba Sing Se," she said and she stamped our passports. Uncle Iroh handed me my passport but Zuko grabbed his in disgust.

"I'm gonna forget I saw that," he said. I laughed as we sat down to wait for the train. I saw Jet examining us and I quickly glared at him. He came walking toward us.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked Zuko, "alone," he added as he saw me getting up as well. I sat back down and folded my hands across my chest again, looking the other way. I glanced back towards them once they were gone. They talked for a while. Then, Zuko came walking back towards me and Iroh.

"_I_ said no," I heard him say to Jet. I smiled at him but he ignored me. He was looking at Iroh. I turned and saw that Uncle Iroh was drinking tea but not just any tea, _hot_ tea. I quickly looked at Jet, in horror. He knew. Zuko knocked the cup of tea out of Iroh's hands and it crashed to the floor.

"What are you doing firebending your tea?" Zuko said, quietly and angrily, "for a wise, old man, that was a pretty stupid move."

"I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea but..." Uncle Iroh said as he looked at the spilled tea. I looked around nervously for Jet but I didn't see him.

There was still no sign of Jet when we boarded the train. I sat next to Zuko and rested my head on his shoulder. He didn't seem to like it but I was tired from the lack of sleep I had gotten the previous night. I closed my eyes and thought about Jet and how I knew he would stop at nothing until "justice" was served.


	18. Chapter 18: Conspiracy and Its Victims

Chapter 18: The Conspiracy and Its Victims

We got off the train and were led to the lower ring of the city. The moment I stepped into the city, something did not feel right. I looked around at the poor buildings, nearly falling apart and immediately thought of the ghost town. I clutched the scroll that contained the address where Zito was staying firmly. Nearly everyone in the city looked like they wanted to kill someone.

"I am going to search for our new apartment and some jobs," Uncle Iroh stated. I was about to follow him but Zuko pulled my arm.

"Come on," he said. I was utterly confused.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to get _you_ new clothes. Jet spotted you from a mile away on the ferry. We're trying to blend in, not cause attention to ourselves."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" I asked defensively.

"Look around you Belle, do you see any women wearing clothes that are tattered and carrying a sword?" I looked around and realized that I stuck out like a sore thumb. I sighed and followed him.

"Well, why don't I get the clothes myself and you go with Ir-Mushy," I said after a moment.

"I don't trust you by yourself."

"No," I said simply.

"Belle, take it," Zuko said, frustrated.

"I'm not putting that on."

"You have to."

"I don't have to listen to you."

"Do you want us to get caught," Zuko whispered.

"How is me not putting on a dress going to get us caught?"

"Why do you have to make everything so complicated?" We glared at each other for a long time.

"...Fine, I'll put on your precious dress. On two conditions," I said and I held up two fingers. I kept my index finger up. "One, I get to wear pants under these." Zuko looked at me for a moment.

"Fine," he said bitterly. I held up another finger.

"And two," I said and I took out the scroll and pointed to it, "I want to go see Zito."

"No," he said quickly.

"Please?" I pleaded, "I promise I won't mention you or Mushy if you don't want me to. I won't say anything. Just please?" Zuko didn't say anything. He paid for the clothes and handed them to me.

"I'll meet you here this afternoon. If you're not here, then I'm going to the apartment without you and you can sleep in the street tonight," Zuko said. I looked up at him and smiled. I went to hug him, but he backed away. I sighed and walked away from him.

It took me about an hour to reach Zito's residence. I walked in, but no one was there. I figured he must have been out, helping with the war in some way. I decided to wait. I took this time to change into my new clothes. They were fairly decent, for a dress. I noticed my clothes looked similar to Katara's, except the colors were white and dark green and mine had long sleeves. I looked around the small house and found that Zito had managed to pack some of my clothes. I didn't want Uncle Iroh and Zuko to feel bad so I just took my nightgown. That was when I noticed a book on top of a dresser.

Now, normally, when Zito got me a new book, he would wait and hide it until he could give it to me himself. He would never leave it out in the open and I knew I had never read this book before. I knew something was wrong. I opened up the pages and flipped through it. As I did, a piece of paper fell out of its contents and onto the floor. I picked it up and read it:

_Dear Belle,_

_I wrote this letter in case you changed your mind and decided to come to Ba Sing Se. As you can see, the house is empty. I am sorry but I was forced to flee Ba Sing Se._

_While trying to offer my assistance to the war efforts, I discovered a terrible secret. A conspiracy has been going on in Ba Sing Se for many years. The Secretary of the State, Long Feng and his Dai Li agents are controlling the city with the Earth King as his pawn. By using some sort of techniques which are unclear to me, the Dai Li and Long Feng are able to erase people's memories, creating a Utopian Society. I threatened to tell the Earth King the truth but almost lost my life in doing so which is why, as I write this letter, I am preparing to leave Ba Sing Se for good. _

_If for some reason you have to stay in the city, stay away from the Dai Li. They are all powerful Earthbenders and if they catch you in this house, who knows what they will do. Which is why you must leave this house now and, if you can, leave Ba Sing Se. _

_I hope that our paths will soon cross again and hopefully, when that time comes, we can finally go home. _

_Zito_

_P.S. I hope you enjoy this book that I have left for you._

I took the book and letter and quickly got out of the house. Hiding my sword underneath my clothes, I scanned the area for this so called Dai Li. I don't think I saw any. I left the upper ring as fast as I could without causing attention to myself. It didn't take me as long to get back to the marketplace. Mainly because I was practically running for my life. I found Zuko not too far from where we had departed. He was surprised to see that I had returned so early, but didn't say anything. Uncle Iroh called us over with a vase full of flowers in his hand. The three of us walked through the city. Zuko eyed the flowers suspiciously.

"I just want our new apartment to look nice in case someone brings home a lady friend," Uncle Iroh said and he nudged his nephew's arm. My face turned red at this comment and I gave a fake cough. Then Iroh looked at me.

"...and since we have a lady of our own with us," he said. I was satisfied.

"This city is a prison. I don't want to make a life here," Zuko said. Thank goodness. Maybe if Zuko's attitude stayed like this, we could leave Ba Sing Se. I didn't like the sound of this Dai Li and I certainly didn't want to meet them.

Our new apartment wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. I was given one of the rooms since I was the only girl. I placed the few belongings that I had in my new room. I wasn't too keen on the idea that I couldn't carry my sword with me, especially with the Dai Li running around and Jet. Jet. I had nearly forgotten about him. It seemed like the entire city was out to get us. I didn't have too much time to think about this because we had to go to our new jobs.

Why was I not surprised when I found out that we were going to be working in a tea shop? The three of us were given aprons. At least Zuko was serving the tea and not making it. Luckily, that job was given to Uncle Iroh.

"..so how do you feel?" the tea shop owner asked.

"Ridiculous," Zuko replied bitterly. I noticed Uncle Iroh was trying to tie the string in the back of the apron.

"Does this come in a larger size?" he asked and I giggled a little.

"I have some extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait," the owner said and he poured us some tea. Uncle Iroh took a sip and nearly spat it out.

"This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!" Uncle Iroh exclaimed.

"Uncle, that's what _all_ tea is," Zuko said.

"How can a member of my own family say something so horrible? We'll have to make some major changes around here," Uncle Iroh said and he took the pot of tea and threw it out the window. I laughed a little.

We worked in the tea shop until nightfall. After that, we headed home. Throughout the day, I got this strange feeling that we were being watched. I tried to ignore it, but I simply couldn't.

Zuko was laying down on the cot. Uncle Iroh was making something….my guess was tea. I sat in front of the cot, reading my book. I turned my attention to the window every once in a while to see if anyone was watching us.

"Would you like a pot of tea?" Uncle Iroh asked us.

"We've been working in a tea shop all day. I'm sick of tea!" Zuko said.

"Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing!" Uncle Iroh exclaimed and I smiled, still not looking away from my book. I heard Uncle Iroh searching through the cupboards.

"Have you seen our spark rocks to heat up the water?" Uncle Iroh asked. My eyes suddenly widened. I got up and helped Uncle Iroh search the cupboards.

"I put them right here," I said as I looked to where I had placed them but they weren't there. I walked over to the window and scanned the area. Someone had been in the apartment and moved the rocks. It had to be Jet. He was probably watching us right now but I couldn't see him. I turned around to make sure Uncle Iroh didn't firebend but he wasn't there. The door opened and he entered. I relaxed.

"I borrowed our neighbors, such kind people," he said. I walked back to my spot and opened my book again.

"Lee….do you get the feeling that we're being watched?" I asked Zuko calmly. I could tell that he was making a weird face of either confusion or alarm.

"No," he said, "…what are you doing?"

"I'm reading, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"What is it?" I turned and eyed him suspiciously.

"It's an in depth story about Oma and Shu. I know the basic story….their villages are at war…they end up meeting on top of a mountain and fall in love." I saw Zuko become alarmed. A moment later, he relaxed and looked away.

"It's just a pile of garbage," he said.

"It is _not_ garbage!" I nearly yelled defensively. I got up and went into my room.

The next day, we went back to the tea shop. I read my book on the way there. One minute I was walking down the street, minding my own business and the next someone grabbed the book out of my hand. I looked up and saw a boy about my age but he had a snobby look on his face.

"You know a girl like you shouldn't be walking around in the streets by yourself. Let alone reading a book," he said. I looked around for Zuko and Iroh but they weren't there. I looked back at the boy and glared at him.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," I said as sweetly as I possibly could, "now may I please have my book back?" I tried to grab it from him but he swiftly moved his hand, teasing me. I went to reach my sword but then remembered that it wasn't there. I knew I should have brought it with me.

"What do you want this garbage for?" he asked, looking at the book in disgust. My face flashed red. I was about to say something until Zuko interfered. He snatched the book from the boy's hand and took my arm. He pulled me along.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing! I had everything under control!" I said and I pulled my arm from his grasp.

"No, you didn't. You keep forgetting that here, you're vulnerable. You're lucky you ran into him, and not someone else." I glared at him but then walked on, knowing that he was right.

It was the end of the day and the tea shop would be closed soon.

"This is the best tea in the city!" an officer exclaimed.

"The secret ingredient …………is love," Iroh said. I burst out into laughter but then stopped at Zuko's expression. Just then, the door burst open. Jet entered the shop and took out his weapons.

"I'm tired of waiting. These two men are firebenders!" Jet said and I gasped in shock, "I know they're firebenders! I saw the old man heating his tea!"

"He works in a tea shop," someone said.

"He's a firebender, I'm telling you!"

"Drop your swords boy, nice and easy," an officer said and he rose to his feet.

"You'll have to defend yourself. Then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do," Jet said as he stepped closer towards Uncle Iroh and Zuko. I protectively moved in front of them. Zuko, however, took two swords from the officer and moved in front of me.

"You want a show? I'll give you a show," he said. He took a table and kicked it in front of Jet. I watched helplessly as they continued to fight. I started to get angry; why the hell did they get to fight? Jet pushed Zuko and he tumbled outside. I ran out to them.

"You both are acting like a bunch of children! Stop it right now!" I yelled in frustration but they didn't listen to me. I screamed in frustration and began to throw rocks on the ground at them but quickly ceased fire. Jet stood on top of a fountain.

"You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me. It'll never happen," Jet said. He jumped down after Zuko. I had had enough of this. I knew that what I was about to do was stupid, but I didn't care. I waited and, just as Jet was about to take another swing at Zuko, I stepped in and grabbed his hooked sword with my hands. I immediately felt a stinging pain and felt warm blood running down my arms. But I didn't care, I was _not_ going to sit by and watch them fight. I refrained from yelping in pain as Jet looked at me with shock in his eyes.

"How could you Belle? What is wrong with you? Helping this monster," Jet said in disgust. I looked at him angrily.

"…He's not the monster Jet," I said, "YOU ARE!" Jet's eyes widened and Zuko came from behind me and took a swing at him with his broad swords. I fell to the floor and looked down at my hands. They were covered in blood. I took my apron and wrapped it around them. I held onto them tightly. The stinging only increased.

"Belle, are you alright," Uncle Iroh said in alarm. He helped me up. It wasn't terrible, I would live. I looked up and saw some soldiers in strange uniforms come. As soon as I laid my eyes on them, I knew these were the Dai Li. My eyes widened with fear. They were going to take Zuko and Iroh away….and possibly me.

"Drop your weapons," one of them said and Zuko and Jet obeyed. Oh yeah sure, listen to them.

"Arrest them. They're Firebenders," Jet said.

"This poor boy is confused. We're just simple refugees," Uncle Iroh said as he held onto my hands. I didn't notice that my hands were now shaking.

"This young man wrecked my tea shop, assaulted my employees, and injured one of them," the owner said.

"It's true sir. We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city," one of the officers said.

"Oh ho ho. That's very sweet," Uncle Iroh said.

"Come with us," another Dai Li officer said. I watched, sadly, as they took Jet away. I knew what they would do to him. They would erase his memory and there was nothing I could do. Sure, he was a jerk and threatened my family, but it still didn't feel right.

I reluctantly held out my bloody hand to Zuko as he cleaned it and wrapped it up. I didn't look at him. Uncle Iroh continued to serve the final customers their tea.

"Belle, what were you thinking?" Zuko said with a tone of anger in his voice. This time, I was going to be the one not answering the questions. I kept my mouth shut. But I felt his stare on me and I had to give in.

"Because I am _not_ going to be the damsel in distress," I said and I slammed my other hand that was already bandaged up on the table, "I will _not _sit by and watch. You can't expect me to just play the innocent girl who needs to be rescued every five seconds no matter where we are….I'm tired of watching my friends and family get hurt." Zuko finished wrapping my hand. He got up and walked away. I stayed for a moment, and then followed behind him.


	19. Chapter 19:Some Things Arent Meant to Be

Chapter 19: Some Things Are Just Not Meant To Be

My face turned red as she walked into the tea shop. I didn't know her name but I noticed that for nearly two weeks she had been coming in here and I didn't think it was because she liked the tea. Whenever she could, she would take a quick glance at Zuko and each time I would turn red with jealously. I was ready to play her game though and each time she walked in I made sure I was the one serving her and not Zuko.

With each passing day, however, Zuko seemed to become more and more distant and there were times when I thought maybe I should let him serve her and maybe I should let her talk to him. There was a little part inside of me that still would not let him go.

I gave the girl her tea. She looked a little uneasy but I just ignored it and began to walk away.

"Um…excuse me?" she asked. I stopped and turned around to face her. She then made a gesture towards Zuko.

"Are you two…..together?" she asked. I felt my face immediately blush but I was ready to hide it.

"What?!" I said in disbelief. I tried to sound as convincing as I could.

"Well, I mean….you're always together…and I just wanted to know because…well," she said and I could see her face turn a little red. I desperately wanted to tell her yes, but I knew it would be unfair. Zuko deserved to be with someone…even if it wasn't me.

"…..No, we're not together," I said quietly and sadly. I walked away and back to Uncle Iroh.

"What did that girl want Belle?" he asked me.

"…she wanted to know if Zuko was…..available……" I said quietly, not wanting Zuko to hear.

"Hmm…and what did you tell her?" Uncle Iroh asked curiously.

"…I told her…….yes," I said sadly. Uncle Iroh didn't say anything. He climbed up a ladder and started stacking things on the shelves. Zuko came over looking worried.

"Uncle, we have a problem," he said and Uncle Iroh got down from the ladder, "One of the customers is on to us. Don't look now, but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're fire nation." I rolled my eyes at this remark. Jeez, Zuko, are you really that thick in the head? Uncle Iroh turned to see who he was talking about, even though he already knew.

"Didn't I say don't look?" Zuko said.

"You're right Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you," Uncle Iroh said and my face flashed angry red.

"What!?" Zuko exclaimed in disbelief just as I had done earlier. I saw the girl walk up to the counter and I hid a little.

"Thank you for the tea," she said and she handed Zuko money, "….what's your name?"

"My name's Lee. My Uncle, friend, and I just moved here," Zuko replied.

"Hi Lee, my name is Jin. Thank you and, well, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime," Jin asked. I had to hide my face because I felt it turning bright red. Please say no, Zuko. Please say no.

"He'd love to!" Iroh chimed in. I was a bit shocked. Way to be on my side, Uncle Iroh.

"Great! I will meet you in front of the shop at sundown."

I couldn't tell who was angrier about the date, me or Zuko. He clearly wasn't too thrilled about it and neither was I. Unfortunately, for both of us, the day passed by quickly. Zuko went home to change with Uncle Iroh. I stayed behind to close the shop up. When I was done, I sat at one of tables and read. When they both came back, I burst into a fit of laughter. What the hell happened to Zuko's hair?

"What's so funny?" Zuko asked, a little defensively. I calmed myself down.

"Nothing," I said. Maybe Jin wouldn't like him too much now. I stared at him lovingly but then quickly buried my face into the book. I glanced back at him and saw that he was totaly lost with this date.

"Don't you have any advice? You _are_ a girl."

"Just be yourself," I said. It was the only advice I could give him considering I didn't really know what to do either. Zuko got up and walked to the door. Jin was there. He looked at me and Iroh one last time before departing. I looked back at my book and shed a tear. Uncle Iroh put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, soon he will come to see that what he needs is right in front of him," he said. I wiped the tear from my face and got up. We walked back to the apartment. I decided that I needed to get fresh air. I put my book down in my room.

"I'm going to go take a walk," I said.

"You sure? A young girl like you shouldn't be walking alone at night," Uncle Iroh said.

"I'll be fine," I said.

I felt a lot better once when I got outside. I walked the alley ways of the city. A baby pygmy panther was looking for scraps from a barrel. I picked the cub up and sat down in the alley. The panther curled up on my knees and fell asleep. I stroked the top of its head.

Maybe I should just give up with Zuko. Just because my mother and father were able to be happy together, doesn't mean it was supposed to happen to me too. Some things just weren't meant to be and maybe this was one of them. I'm sure I would find someone else and I'm sure I could live a long and happy life with that person.

But I loved Zuko. I didn't know how long I could keep it a secret from him. I wanted him and only him. But maybe I was just being selfish. I should be thinking of not only what I want but what Zuko wanted too.

I suddenly saw lights coming from the other end of the alley. I felt bad for moving the cub but I wanted to see what was going on. The cub stretched a little but then got up. Its beady eyes stared at me. I walked towards the light with the little cub following me.

The other end contained a beautiful fountain. At first, I thought there were lanterns inside the water but then I realized that it was an illusion and the lanterns surrounded the fountain. I stared at its beauty for a while, and then I noticed something. My mouth gaped at the sight and it felt as though my heart was ripped out of me. There was Zuko and Jin, kissing. I felt a lump in my throat and quickly turned around and walked. I didn't cry or speak or think as I walked. I noticed the little cub followed continued to follow me and I was glad that there was someone there.

I wanted to burst into tears of frustration and pain but I didn't. I just kept walking. It took me a while before I realized that I was walking back to the apartment. I opened the door and headed to my room, with the panther still close behind.

"And how was your walk, Belle?" Uncle Iroh asked.

"Horrible! Just absolutely horrid!" I practically yelled as I fought back my tears. I didn't mean to take it out on Uncle Iroh but I couldn't help it. I slammed my door shut. I was about to cry until someone opened my door.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked, annoyed and angry.

"Oh, nothing, everything is perfectly fine. Why don't you just go back and spend some more time with Jin," I said sarcastically. Zuko was lost.

"I don't get it! One minute you don't have a problem with all this and the next you're taking it out on Jin. What do you have against Jin?" he asked angrily.

"Well not my lips, that's for sure. Tell me Zuko, was Jin ever there for you? Does she even know who you are? And I'm not talking about Lee, I'm talking about Zuko. Would she love you if she knew that you are Prince Zuko?" I yelled.

"Who would if they knew who I really was?" Zuko yelled back.

"I would! I still do!" I screamed. As soon as I realized what I had said, I clasped my hands over my mouth, my eyes wide. I looked at Zuko, who looked back at me in both shock and horror. I turned my gaze to Uncle Iroh, who was now next to Zuko. He looked down, sadly. I felt tears stream down my face and I slammed my door shut again. I leaned against the door and slid down to the floor. I wrapped my arms around my legs and cried. The little cub meowed and rubbed its bodies against my legs. I wiped the tears away and took the cub in my arms. I held the baby panther against my chest and continued to cry silently.


	20. Chapter 20: The Underground Headquarters

Chapter 20: The Underground Headquarters

I didn't talk to Zuko for days. I couldn't. It was a miracle that I didn't burst into tears every time I saw him. The tiny pygmy panther continued to follow me. It was the only comfort I had. I eventually decided to call her Natasha. Zuko didn't protest Natasha's presence which surprised me.

"How would you like to have your own tea shop?" a rich man was asking Uncle Iroh. I placed my tray down and walked over to listen in. Natasha, of course, was right behind me.

"My own tea shop! This is a dream come true!" Uncle Iroh said in surprise.

"What's going on here?" the tea owner, who I always seemed to forget his name, said, "are you trying to poach my tea maker?"

"Sorry pal, but that's business for you, am I right?" the man said. The bribing continued. I lost interest but continued to stand there. For some reason, my attention turned to Zuko. He looked up at what was going on, and our eyes met for a moment, but then he turned back to what he was doing. The little battle was over and the rich man apparently won. I was happy. Finally, in the upper ring. Maybe this would give me a chance to find out where Zito had gone. Plus I couldn't wait to explore the upper ring some more. I soon found myself happy, something that I hadn't been in weeks. I put my hands on Uncle Iroh's shoulders and smiled happily.

"Did you hear that nephew, this man is wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city," Uncle Iroh said.

"That's right young man, you're life is about to change for the better," the rich man said. Zuko made his way to the door.

"I'll try to contain my joy," Zuko said as he put his tray down. He stepped outside and, for once, I didn't follow. Uncle Iroh noticed this but didn't have time to talk; he was still talking with the man. I, too, placed my tray down and picked up Natasha and held her in my arms. I sat down at one of tables and waited. I stroked tiny Natasha as I pretended to listen to the two. A few moments later, Zuko came back into the tea shop. I avoided eye contact as much as possible. I felt him glancing at me a few times but I didn't look back. When I couldn't stand it any longer, I was the one walking outside. I placed Natasha on the ground outside. I leaned against the tea shop. Why was everything so complicating with him? Natasha began to meow. I looked down at her and saw her playing with a piece of paper. I took it from her. There was a picture of Appa. Apparently, he was missing and Aang was looking for him. I stared at the paper for a moment and then crinkled it up. I threw it back on the ground and Natasha began to play with it again. I hoped Zuko didn't see this. If he found out, he would stop at nothing until he had Aang again and I didn't like it when he was hunting my friends. He felt he had no choice but to hunt Aang when that wasn't the case at all.

I walked back into the tea shop. Uncle Iroh and Zuko were cleaning everything up.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"We're leaving early so we can get ready to move into our new apartment," Uncle Iroh said happily.

"That's great!" I exclaimed. I hurriedly began to clean up the shop. Thank goodness we were going home early.

It was a good thing I didn't see any more posters on the way back. I sat next to Uncle Iroh in the apartment as we packed our belongings. Zuko walked in.

"So I was thinking about new names my new tea shop," Uncle Iroh said to him. I saw Zuko reaching for something inside his shirt. "How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it." My face turned pale as I saw the paper that Zuko was now holding. He had found the flyer.

"The Avatar is in Ba Sing Se and he's lost his bison," Zuko said, showing Uncle Iroh the flyer. Uncle Iroh took it and Zuko walked to the window.

"We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could loose all the good things that are happening for us," Uncle Iroh said.

"Good things that are happening for you," Zuko nearly snapped, "Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea."

"There's nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life and why." I saw Zuko take a quick glance at me.

"I want my destiny," he said. I looked down.

"What that means is up to you," Uncle Iroh said, "the Tea Wimo! No, that's stupid." Zuko walked away. I got up to follow him. As angry and scared as I was at him, I couldn't sit by and watch him torture himself. Not to mention, if he started trouble, he might get the Dai Li involved.

"Zuko..." I began.

"You knew about this didn't you?" Zuko said and I froze, "When you went to see Zito, you saw the Avatar didn't you?"

"What! That is ridiculous! I may have seen the flyer but I never knew Aang was here before that. How dare you say something like that?" I said but then I stopped. Maybe if I just explained to him about the Dai Li, he would stop. "...Zuko...I have to show you something." I took his hand and brought him to my room. Natasha followed the both of us. I still didn't want Uncle Iroh to know, so I shut the door behind us. I took out Zito's letter and handed it to him. He read it silently. When he finished, he looked up at me.

"Why are you showing this to me?" Zuko asked me.

"Don't you see, Zuko?" I said silently, "if you try to capture Aang here, you'll end up getting yourself killed. Or the Dai Li will take your memory away...just like they did to Jet." Zuko handed the letter back to me.

"...I don't need you trying to keep me safe," Zuko said and he got up.

"But Zuko," I began. But it was too late; he was already out the door. I took the letter and put it back. I then went out of my room and back to Uncle Iroh. We finished packing in silence.

Before I went to bed, I walked over to Zuko's room. I decided I would have to talk to him about everything eventually. Plus, I still didn't want him obsessing over Aang again.

"Zuko, may I come in?" I asked. Silence. I opened the door a crack. There was no one there.

I couldn't believe it. He did exactly what I told him not to do. There was no doubt in my mind he was going to the Dai Li to figure out where Appa was. It made perfect sense. The Dai Li didn't want people to know that there was a war going on and Aang was in the city. Every time we went to a town or village, Aang always said stuff like "I'm the Avatar and I have to save the world from the war". Aang must have tried to tell people that there was a war making Aang the Dai Li's number one on their serious threat list. Zuko must have put some of these pieces of the puzzle together as well.

I immediately rushed to Uncle Iroh. I shook him a little to wake him up.

"Uncle Iroh! Zuko went to find Appa and its all my fault. I showed him a letter that Zito gave me that said all of the Dai Li's plans and now he's going to—"

"Belle, calm down. I know, he just left a few moments ago but we have to leave now if we're going to catch up to him," Uncle Iroh said. Oh, so Uncle Iroh was pretending to be asleep. We both walked to the door to track Zuko down. I noticed Natasha following me.

"Natasha," I said to the tiny pygmy panther, "it's too dangerous. Stay here." The panther tilted her head downward but stayed. Uncle Iroh and I made our way out of the apartment to get Zuko back.

We walked deep into the underground headquarters of the Dai Li. The dark corridors were filled with sorrow. The only light and bit of hope was the green lanterns that hung along the walls but even that was not comforting. As we walked, I noticed one of the doors was open. I took a peek. There were rows of women, all looking nearly the same, standing strait. Each one of them looked as though they were hypnotized. One of the Dai Li stood in front of them.

"I am Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se," he said.

"I am Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se," all of the women said in sync. I stared in horror. This is what they would do to us if they found us. I uncontrollably screamed but felt Uncle Iroh quickly put his hand over my mouth so no one would hear me. When I stopped, he took his hand away.

"Sorry," I murmured as we continued to pursue Zuko.

The two of us finally made it to the place where they were keeping Appa. Uncle Iroh opened up the cell. Zuko quickly became alarmed and his swords were pointed toward us.

"Uncle?" I heard him say in surprise.

"So the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask," Uncle Iroh said. Zuko sighed and took off his mask.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you have found the Avatar's bison? Keep it locked up in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?" Uncle Iroh said.

"First I have to get it out of here," Zuko said. What are you thinking Zuko?

"And then what!" Uncle Iroh yelled. My heart gave a little jolt. I had never seen Uncle Iroh this angry. "You never think these things through. This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole. You had him and then you had no where to go!"

"I would have figured something out!" Zuko snapped back.

"No! If his friends hadn't found you and Belle didn't convince them to take you, you would have frozen to death!" I felt a mix of emotions as I watched them argue. It hurt to see them both argue this way but how else would Zuko listen?

"I know my own destiny, uncle," Zuko said, frustrated.

"Is it your own destiny, or the destiny that someone else has tried to pause on you?"

"Stop it, uncle, I have to do this," Zuko said and he turned away from us.

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko," Uncle Iroh said. I couldn't take it anymore. I ran over to Zuko and wrapped my arms around him. I held onto him.

"As am I," I said and my eyes began to water, "...Zuko...please. If you keep this up, you'll get killed. I already lost Lee...don't make me lose you too. I meant what I said...I love you...please...don't do this." I let go of him and backed away a little.

"It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions: WHO are you and WHAT do you want?" Uncle Iroh continued. Zuko screamed in frustration and threw his swords to the ground. I was afraid to move but I placed a hand on his shoulder. I saw him glance back at me and he sighed.

"...keep the bison occupied," he said quietly. I was confused at first but then I took my hand off his shoulder. I walked over to Appa. He looked scared and he backed away.

"Appa, it's me, Belle," I said calmly. I held my hand up to him. I waited a few moments before Appa licked me with his giant tongue. I laughed.

"It's good to see you too," I said and I stroked his head as Zuko and Uncle Iroh removed his chains. When the chains were removed, we began to lead Appa out of the lair.

"...Belle...," Zuko said as we made our way to an exit. I looked at him. "...I think it's best if you stay with the bison." My heart sank when he said this.

"...Do I have to?" I asked. Zuko didn't answer. "I'll take that as a no. Besides, you'll forget to feed Natasha or, worse, you'll just leave her out in the street." We made sure Appa was out safely. I said goodbye to him and watched him leave.

Zuko took my hand and helped me out of the tunnel. He then reached and helped Uncle Iroh out. I watched as he took out the blue mask.

"Leave it behind," Uncle Iroh said and he placed a hand on his shoulder. Zuko dropped the mask into the water. I wrapped myself around his arm and watched with him as the mask drifted below the sea.


	21. Chapter 21: Guardian Angel

Chapter 21: Guardian Angel

What a long night that was. Thank goodness we were almost back at the apartment. I kept glancing back at Zuko. For some reason, he didn't look so good and I became worried. We entered the apartment.

"You did the right thing nephew," Uncle Iroh said. That was when I knew something was wrong with Zuko.

"I don't feel right," Zuko said weakly. Just then, Zuko collapsed to the floor. My mind froze.

"Zuko," Uncle Iroh and I said. We both rushed over to him. I felt his head. He was burning up. I knew he needed water but at the same time I didn't want to leave his side. Uncle Iroh saw this and got up to get the water. I didn't know what to do. It was then that I realized that I was scared. Very scared. I held onto Zuko's hand. Uncle Iroh came back with the water. Uncle Iroh placed a cold rag onto Zuko's head.

A few minutes later, Zuko opened his eyes slowly. Uncle Iroh and I helped him get his clothes off, except for his shorts, and we laid him gently on the floor. I never once let go of his hand. I wanted to ask Uncle Iroh what was wrong with him but my voice wouldn't let me. I couldn't speak. It was as though someone had ripped my tongue out. All I could do was sit next to Zuko and watch. I was on the verge of tears. I didn't want to see Zuko like this, in this pain. It hurt every moment.

Zuko began to wake up again. He looked up at me and stared for a moment at my hand which was still tightly holding onto his. Then he turned his attention to Uncle Iroh. Uncle Iroh was placing another rag on his head.

"You are burning up my nephew. Stay under the blanket," Uncle Iroh said as he placed the blanket over Zuko. Zuko tried to get up but I helped Uncle Iroh lightly push him back down.

"...So thirsty," Zuko murmured. Iroh took a spoonful of water and handed it to him.

"Here, drink this," Uncle Iroh said. I watched in fear as Zuko took down the water within seconds. Then, he took the entire bucket full of water and threw it across the room. I watched him lay back down, shivering. I nearly started to cry.

The fact that Uncle Iroh wouldn't tell me what was wrong with Zuko was what scared me the most. I may sometimes act like an idiot but that doesn't mean I was one. It was like when Zito refused to tell me where my parents were when he came to get me from under the floor. Parents or guardians never told their children when something really bad was happening and I was afraid Uncle Iroh was doing the same because he didn't want me to be worried. But this only made me even more worried. Knowing that I may be watching Zuko's own demise terrified me and it caused me to hold onto Zuko's hand even tighter.

Soon, sleep began to try and overtake me but I wouldn't allow it. There was no way I could sleep now. I had not slept in days. Funny, how the reason I couldn't sleep each of those times was because of Zuko. Uncle Iroh offered to watch over Zuko while I slept but I simply shook my head at his request. I don't think I would have been able to sleep anyway. The fear that was consuming me was too much. Even Natasha could not comfort me though she stayed by my side faithfully. I occasionally glanced her way and could see that she, too, looked worried.

"You should know this is not a natural sickness. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea," Uncle Iroh said. A pit formed at the bottom of my stomach at his words. Not a natural sickness...what could that mean? I held onto Zuko's hand tighter. I was surprised I hadn't broken one of his bones or something by now. Zuko took a sip of tea.

"What's happening?" Zuko asked.

"You're critical decision. What you did beneath that lake. It was in such conflict with your image of yourself that you are now at war within your own mind and body," Uncle Iroh said. What! You mean I was worried because Zuko is in conflict with himself. He wasn't going to die? Then why didn't Iroh tell me that? I relaxed a little and loosened my grip on Zuko's hand.

"What's that mean?" Zuko asked and he began to cough. I helped him lay back down.

"You are going through a metamorphosis my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience. But when you come out of it you will the beautiful prince you were always meant to be." I watched as Zuko drifted back to sleep. He was already beautiful...at least to me.

Despite the fact that I was no longer worried, I still did not sleep. Uncle Iroh went to sleep but I didn't. I couldn't. I strained to keep my eyes opened as little Natasha curled up next to me.

I suddenly heard a scream and I jumped. It took me a few moments to realize that it was Zuko who had screamed. I then realized that I had let his hand go as he quickly sat up. Zuko began to pant as beads of sweat ran down his face. I gently put my hand on his shoulder. His skin was still warm. He looked at me and I stared into his soft eyes. I turned my gaze away from him.

"Belle...why are you doing this? After all I've said to you...after all I've done to you...why didn't you leave? Why did you stay by me?" Zuko asked. I looked back at him for a moment. Was he really that thick? I actually found myself laughing a little.

"Zuko, you really are stupid aren't you? How many times do I have to tell you?" I said and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I pressed my cheek against his. It was warm and I felt my body fill with the same warmth. "Zuko...I LOVE you...and there's nothing you can do to change my mind," and with that I gently kissed him on the cheek. I felt my heart soar as I did this, fearing that he would reject it or worse, not talk to me for a while again. But he didn't move, he didn't stir and I smiled.

"You scared me, you know," I whispered softly. I finally let go of him. He looked at me, bewildered and I was afraid that I had done too much. I felt my face grow red. I yawned, remembering how tired I was.

"You should sleep," Zuko said. By the tone of his voice, I still couldn't tell if he accepted what I had just told him or rejected it again.

"I'm not the one who needs sleep, it's you," I retorted, "now you should go back to sleep so you can get better and then I'll be able to sleep." Zuko for once obeyed me and he laid back down. I rubbed my eyes as I watched him go back to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22: So This is Love

Chapter 22: So This is Love

I sat at the table eating jook. Zuko came in.

"What's that smell?" he asked.

"It's jook, I'm sure you wouldn't like it," Uncle Iroh said. Zuko walked over to the food and smelled it.

"It smells delicious. I'd love a bowl," Zuko said, holding out a bowl. I stared at him suspiciously. Out of the, what was it about six months, I had spent with him I had never heard him say nor call something delicious. Maybe he still had a fever or maybe he was going mentally insane. Uncle Iroh also eyed him suspiciously.

"Now that your fever is gone, you seem different some how."

"It's a new day. We've got new furniture, a new apartment, and today is the grand opening of your new tea shop. Things are really looking up uncle," Zuko said as he walked over to the table and took a sip from his jook. I raised an eyebrow at him. Something was not right. I stared at him, trying to see if I could pull something out of him. He looked at me, confused.

"What?" he asked lightly.

"What have you done with the real Zuko?" I asked as I continued to stare at him.

"Nothing," he replied simply. Maybe it was just me, but his voice seemed richer than usual. I became a little alarmed when I saw Zuko smile.

"Are you sure nothing is wrong?" I asked him.

"Belle, can't I be happy for once?" Zuko teased. Zuko teasing me? Was this even possible?

"Of course you can…..it just seems….strange," I said, trying to explain but it wasn't really working out. Now Zuko was the one raising an eyebrow. I sighed and my face turned a little red. "…..I like to see you happy." I managed to smile even though I was still a little creeped out by Zuko's cheeriness. I wasn't expecting what happened next. The next thing I knew, Zuko reached over and kissed me on the cheek. My face flashed red. I felt a mix of feelings. My heart began to melt and it was beating fast. When he let go, I saw him smiling. He was….smiling…at me? I placed a hand on the spot where he had kissed me and looked at him, utterly confused.

"I like to see you happy too," he said and he got up and walked away. I sat there, unable to move. My face turned red again and I smiled. I could feel Uncle Iroh gazing at me from the counter. Embarrassed, I got up and went to my room. I shut the door and slid down to the floor, smiling.

After we got on our new uniforms for the new tea shop, I tugged Zuko along out of the apartment. He didn't mind at all. Natasha followed us as we walked over to open up the tea shop. As we got ready to open up the shop, I found myself humming. Zuko was right; today was a new day, a beautiful new day. Nothing could go wrong.

We stood in the back of the tea shop as it opened.

"….who would have thought that I would be running my own tea shop? Follow your passion Zuko and it will lead you to happiness," Uncle Iroh was saying.

"Congratulations uncle," Zuko said enthusiastically.

"I am so glad," Uncle Iroh said.

"You deserve it, the Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city."

"No, I mean I am happy that you decided to share this moment with me," Uncle Iroh said as he placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder, "it means a lot to me." The three of us hugged.

"Come on, let's give these people their tea," Zuko said and he went to go and take orders. I was still baffled by his new mood but I did the same.

The tea shop was busy all day. Despite this, I couldn't stop glancing to where Zuko was. I tried to pick the tables that were closest to him. I think he noticed this, too, but he didn't say anything, just smiled as though it was a game. I still had to get used his new behavior especially since he was acting a lot like me….in an odd sort of way. During the day, I could have sworn I saw Katara walk into the shop but I ignored it. I figured I must have been imagining things since I wasn't fully paying attention and always turning my attention to Zuko. I was so out of it that I forgot to feed Natasha.

"Sorry Natasha," I said as I gave her a dish of milk on one of the tables after the store had closed. She drank happily. Zuko rolled his eyes.

"You know people drink their tea off of those tables," he said as he swept the floor.

"I'm gonna clean the table when she's done," I said. I cleaned the other tables while I waited and continued to hum a tune. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Zuko kept glancing at me just as I had done all day but it was making me uncomfortable. I looked over to him and stared into his amber eyes. They looked different somehow….I could now see love in his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked him but I smiled.

"What am I now not allowed to look at you?" Zuko said with a smirk. I wasn't expecting this so I just looked away to hide my smile.

A man walked into the tea shop carrying a scroll.

"From his Royal Excellency," the man said handing the scroll to Uncle Iroh. I watched as he scanned the scroll.

"I can't believe this!" Iroh exclaimed. I walked over to him.

"What is it?" Zuko asked.

"We have been invited to serve the Earth King himself!" Uncle Iroh said still excited. Could this day possibly get any better? Zuko smiled at this good news. He continued to sweep the floor. I saw that Natasha was done and took her bowl away and cleaned the table. Everything was perfect, just perfect.

I put my nightgown on and was nearly ready for bed. There was still a part of me that felt something was wrong with Zuko. I decided to use this as an excuse to see Zuko. I walked over to his room. I opened the door a crack and peeked in. He was in the same clothes that he wore this morning. He was lying down on a cot. I came in and sat on a pillow on the floor across from him. He stared at me a bit surprised.

"Belle, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Zuko….are you sure nothing is wrong?" I asked worriedly. He sighed.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm perfectly fine," Zuko said a little annoyed.

"You're right, I'm sorry," I said a little sadly. I got up and walked over to his cot. He saw this, and sat up. I sat down next to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes. Instead of repelling, Zuko wrapped his arms around me. I held onto him for I don't know how long. Everything seemed to drift away. I loved him, I really did and I think he loved me too and I was happy.

I was half asleep when I realized I was still in Zuko's arms.

"Zuko…," I murmured softly, "is it wrong for me to love you?" He didn't answer. Maybe he was asleep. I was too tired to open my eyes to find out. A few moments later, I felt Zuko stir. Before I knew it, I felt Zuko lift me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried me to my room. He laid me down on my cot. I felt him leaning over me. I could feel his warm breath on my neck.

"I love you Belle," he whispered softly as though he was afraid to say it. I felt his warm lips press against my cheek. I desperately wanted to say 'I love you' back but I was too tired to reply. I heard him leave the room and I drifted into a peaceful sleep.


	23. Chapter 23: Take Me or Leave Me

Chapter 23: Take Me or Leave Me

I was walking in a forest. I was looking for something but I didn't know what it was. I kept following the path. When I reached the end of the path, there was nothing there. I stood there for a moment and then I began to cry. It felt like I had lost something important, something that I was looking for but couldn't find.

"Belle," I heard someone say softly. I opened my eyes and saw Zuko staring at me.

"Come on, you've got to get up. We have to go to the Earth King's palace soon." I sat up and waited. Zuko didn't move.

"Huh, you want to get out so I can change?" I teased. Zuko immediately left the room without saying anything. I decided to wear the nice clothes that Zuko and I had gotten when we first came to Ba Sing Se. I also took out my sword. Something told me to bring it. I wrapped the sheath around my waist and hid it from site as best as I could. I knew Zuko and Uncle Iroh wouldn't let me bring it if they knew. It was then that I noticed Natasha was waiting patiently on my cot. I turned to her. She stretched out, exposing her soft belly and purred. I laughed and stroked her soft stomach. I then picked her up and carried her out of the apartment.

We even got to ride in a carriage to get to the Earth King. I sat next to Zuko with Uncle Iroh across from us. I suddenly became sad. Something told me that something was going to happen. I didn't know if it would be bad or good….but it felt bad. I rested my head on Zuko's chest while Natasha slept on my lap. I didn't look at Uncle Iroh. I was afraid he would figure out that I thought something was wrong. Zuko wrapped his arm around me and he kissed the top of my head. That was when I remembered what I had heard him say the night before.

"_I love you, Belle." _

The words echoed in my head and they pacified me. I began to no longer feel worried but instead tranquil. I closed my eyes as I listened to Zuko's heart beat. My own breathes became in sync with his. It was like beautiful music. I felt Zuko gently push my hair back. I took a deep breath and sighed softly. Zuko loved me and I loved him and no one could take that away from us.

The carriage came to a stop and I reluctantly opened my eyes. I sat up and stroked Natasha to wake her up. The pygmy panther yawned and got off of my lap. She jumped out of the carriage and waited. Zuko took my hand to help me out. The three of us walked towards the Earth King's palace.

"I always imagined myself here as a conqueror. But we are here as the king's guests serving him tea," Uncle Iroh said, "destiny is a funny thing."

"It sure is Uncle," Zuko said cheerfully.

We entered the palace. It was amazing and breathtaking at the same time. We sat down and waited for the Earth King.

I sighed with boredom. What the heck was taking so long? We had been waiting for nearly an hour. I glanced over at Zuko a couple of times but he didn't make any gestures.

"What's taking so long?" Zuko finally said.

"Maybe the king overslept?" Uncle Iroh suggested. My heart jumped at the sound of footprints entering the room. My eyes widened as I saw the Dai Li surrounding us. I placed my hand on the sword handle.

"Something's not right," Zuko whispered.

"It's tea time," a familiar voice said. I jumped up at the sound of that wicked voice. I took out my sword.

"Azula," Zuko said angrily. Uncle Iroh got up as well. I clenched my sword tightly.

"Have you met the Dai Li? They're Earthbenders but they have a killer instinct that's so Firebender. I just love it."

"Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the Dragon of the West?" Uncle Iroh asked. He poured some tea into a cup. What was he doing? Drinking tea…now?!

"I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, uncle," Azula snapped.

"It's more of a demonstration really," Uncle Iroh said and I saw him take a sip of the tea. I glanced over to Zuko and saw him smirking. With the quick move of his hands, Zuko grabbed me and pulled me down. I looked up and saw Uncle Iroh….breathing fire! Like a dragon, the fire shot out of his mouth. It was amazing. Zuko tugged me along as we ran for our lives. I got a couple of fire blasts in, but they didn't really do anything. Uncle Iroh blew off part of the wall and jumped down. I followed him. I caught Natasha in my arms when she came down and put her on the ground. We both looked up at Zuko.

"Come on, you'll be fine," Uncle Iroh called up to him.

"No, I'm tired of running. It's time I faced Azula," Zuko said. My eyes widened at him.

"But Zuko!" I called. I was about to try and somehow get back up the wall but Uncle Iroh pulled me back.

"Come on, you'll only get captured too," Uncle Iroh said. Captured! Uncle Iroh tugged me along. As we were about to leave, Uncle Iroh stopped. "Wait a minute." Within seconds, I watched as Uncle Iroh took out one of the Dai Li. We tied him up and brought him with us. I didn't exactly know where we were going. Natasha pranced by my side.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"To see your old friends," Uncle Iroh replied. Aang? We were going to see Aang?

"But what if they won't help us," I said in dismay.

"They're your friends, why wouldn't they help you?" I looked down at the ground.

"….they aren't exactly happy by the fact that I left them to stay with you and Zuko."

"Well they may be upset with you, but do you think that they wouldn't help you rescue someone you care about?"

"…..since it's Zuko, probably not……"

We reached the house. Uncle Iroh placed the Dai Li agent to the side. He then went up to the door and knocked. Some girl answered the door. I recognized her from the last time we met, in the ghost town. I think I had seen her before that too…….wasn't she from one of the noble families? If I remembered correctly, her name was Toph and from the Bei Fong Family….I think.

"We need your help," Uncle Iroh said. Toph smiled while the others gave a strange expression.

"You guys know each other?" Aang said surprised.

"I met him in the woods once and knocked him down. Then he gave me tea and some very good advice," Toph said.

"May we come in?" Uncle Iroh asked. Toph nodded and the three of us entered. Momo immediately flew up to me. I stoked his head and smiled. He then went down and examined Natasha.

"Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se," Uncle Iroh said.

"She must have Katara," Aang said. I was wondering where she was.

"She has captured my nephew as well."

"Then we'll work together to fight Azula and save Katara and Zuko," Aang said. I was relieved to know that they would help.

"Wait a minute, you lost me there at Zuko," Sokka said. Should have known he would protest.

"I know how you must feel about my nephew. But believe me when I tell you, there is good inside of him," Uncle Iroh said.

"Good inside him isn't enough. Why don't you back when it's outside him too, okay?" Sokka said.

"Please Sokka," I pleaded, "you know what it's like to lose someone you care about...please don't make me go through the same thing..." Sokka looked at me, surprised. I wasn't sure if it was because I was actually asking him to do something for me or because I basically just told them that I had feelings for Zuko.

"Katara is in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance," Aang said. Sokka nodded. Of course, he listens to Aang.

"We brought someone along who might be able to help us," Uncle Iroh said. We walked out of the house to show them the Dai Li agent. Toph tightly secured him. Uncle Iroh removed the cloth that was tied around his mouth.

"Azula and Long Feng are planning a coo. They're going to overthrow the Earth King," the agent said.

"My sister, where are they keeping Katara?" Sokka asked and pointed his machete at the agent.

"In the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace." We headed for the palace. Who would have known that there was an old Ba Sing Se? I ran beside Toph. I wondered if she remembered me. I was a little surprised that she was an Earthbender.

"Hey Toph, do you remember me?" I asked a little awkwardly.

"How _could_ I forget you?" I took this comment a little offensive.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, jee, I don't know every time you came over you had to _baby sit_ me."

"How was I supposed to know you could Earthbend and take care of yourself?"

"...It's okay...I wouldn't have expecting you to be a Firebender let alone fall in love with the Fire Nation Prince." I blushed at this statement but continued to follow the others.

"Well what do you know? There is an ancient city down there but it's deep," Toph said as she placed her hand on the ground. With great Earthbending, Toph put a hole in the ground.

"We should split up. Aang, you go with Belle and Iroh to look for Katara and the angry jerk...no offense," Sokka said.

"None taken," Uncle Iroh replied. I shot a glare at Sokka.

"And I'll go with Toph to worn the Earth King about Azula's coo," Sokka said. They both ran off to go and warn the Earth King. Meanwhile, Aang began to Earthbend the ground and create a tunnel. Uncle Iroh held a small fire in his palm and the three of us walked in.

"Hey Belle, how come you never told us you were a Firebender?" Aang asked.

"You never asked before," I replied simply. We continued to walk in silence. The only sound that could be heard was Aang's Earthbending.

"...So, Toph thinks you give pretty good advice and great tea," Aang said to Uncle Iroh.

"The key to both is proper aging. What's on your mind?" Uncle Iroh asked.

"Well I met with this Guru who was supposed to help me master the Avatar State and control this great power. But to do it, I had to let go of someone I love and I just couldn't," Aang said. The first thing that popped into my head when he said this was Katara. It was so obvious.

"Perfection and power are over rated. I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love." I nodded in agreement.

"But what happens if I can't save everyone and defeat Azula? Without the Avatar State, what if I'm not powerful enough?"

"I don't know the answer. Life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel. But if you just keep moving..." Uncle Iroh said. Aang moved some more rocks. Behind it, there were tons of beautiful crystals. There was also a waterfall and a pool of water. I looked at it in awe. "You will come to a better place." We walked over to one of the cave walls. Aang used Earthbending to blast a hole into another part of the cave. I looked over to see Zuko and Katara...standing next to each other closely. A little too close.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed. I ran over to Zuko and put my arms around him. My body suddenly filled with warmth. Uncle Iroh also hugged Zuko. I felt Natasha swerve in between my legs. The family was together again. I looked up at Zuko and smiled. I found him, however, frowning.

"Uncle, Belle, I don't understand, what are you doing with the Avatar?" Zuko asked angrily.

"Saving you that's what," Aang chimed in. Zuko nearly went after Aang but Uncle Iroh and I held him back.

"Zuko, it's time we talked," Uncle Iroh said, "go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you." I watched Katara and Aang leave. I noticed Katara glancing back at Zuko and I felt my face turn red with anger.

"Why Uncle?" Zuko asked sadly as he looked at the ground.

"You are not the man you used to be Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been," Uncle Iroh said. I wrapped my arms around Zuko's arm.

"...and now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good." Yes, Zuko, choose good.

Suddenly I felt a jolt and when I turned, I saw Uncle Iroh trapped in crystals. I ran over to him and tried to get him out, but it was useless. I turned towards Zuko and saw Azula with the Dai Li. I glared at her and I saw Natasha hiss wildly at the enemy.

"I expected this kind of treachery from uncle, but Zuko...Prince Zuko. You're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor are you?" Azula said. I held onto Zuko tightly. There was no way she was taking him now.

"Release him immediately," Zuko demanded.

"It's not too late for you Zuko. You can still redeem yourself," Azula said. I quickly looked to Zuko and saw the expression on his face. No, Zuko, don't fall for this. She's lying to you...don't...please.

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you," Uncle Iroh said.

"Why don't you let him decide uncle? I need you, Zuko. I plotted every movement of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history and the only way we win, is together."

"You're so full of it Azula," I snapped. I began to fill up with rage. There weren't even words horrible enough to describe Azula. Azula glared at me.

"At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have father's love. You will have everything you want," Azula continued.

"Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want," Uncle Iroh said.

"You're free to choose," Azula said and she walked towards where Aang and Katara had headed. I knew I had to stop her. I couldn't let her hurt Aang. I waited a few moments as Zuko stood still, thinking. He then took off his robe, so it would be easier to fight. He started walking after Azula and his decision...I wasn't sure of. I turned to Uncle Iroh but he motioned me to follow him. I had to tell Zuko my say in all of this.

"Zuko..." I said as we hurried to catch up to Azula, Katara, and Aang.

"What? Are you going to tell me what I should do too?" he asked frustrated. I sighed and stopped.

"...No...you're confused as it is...but Zuko...if you choose to help Azula...if you choose to fight against Aang, I can't help you...I won't fight alongside Azula," I said. He stopped and looked at me. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I rested my head on his chest.

"...I love you..." I whispered softly to him. I felt him hold onto me tightly and I got the horrible feeling that we were saying goodbye. He let go of me and we ran over to Azula, Katara, and Aang. Azula was surrounded by Katara and Aang. Zuko shot a fire blast at in between them and glared at Azula. I felt myself loosen up and I sighed with relief. But then, I saw Zuko turn the other way and he fired at Aang. No...

My mind went blank as I saw him attack Aang but I couldn't just stand there in shock. I took out my sword and unwillingly ran over to help Aang. I didn't have the heart to attack Zuko and I don't think he could attack me either. He never once aimed for me and I never once aimed for him. I tried to get in front of Aang and block the attacks but I kept getting hit. I turned and then saw Azula. I immediately filled with rage. I got up and ran over to her. I swung my sword as hard as I could at her. Then, I shot a fire blast in her direction.

"You manipulative, little witch!" I screamed as I attacked her again. She smirked at this.

"You're just upset because he chose honor over you!" she yelled back. I stopped for a moment and realized the truth of it all. Zuko did choose his honor over me...and there was nothing I could do.

"...and why should he choose you? He never cared about you at all," she said. I snapped out of it when she said this. Azula may be able to manipulate Zuko and others, but she couldn't get to me. I wouldn't let her.

"You think you can play with my emotions? Well think again!" I yelled as I used nearly all my strength to throw a blast of fire at her. It sent her flying back. Katara came in and grabbed Azula by a leg and an arm. She was about to throw her to the ground and I was about to hit her again. Then, Zuko shot at Katara, freeing his sister. I felt myself weaken. I couldn't fight...I couldn't even fight Azula. She had won and I let her win. I suddenly felt a sensation of heat and when I turned towards the direction it was coming from, I saw Azula. She had attacked me with one last fire blast before moving onto Aang. But I didn't care. I felt like I was dying on the inside. I looked up as I saw Aang coming towards Zuko and Azula. Just then, something threw him off. I looked around and saw that we were now surrounded by Dai Li. I heard Natasha hissing at them all and I realized that she was now next to me. Aang landed not to far from me. Zuko, Azula, and the Dai Li surrounded us. I couldn't help but stop and stare at Zuko. He looked at me and our eyes met. I looked into his soft, amber eyes and felt my own eyes fill up with tears. My heart broke into a thousand tiny pieces and I took my gaze off of Zuko.

I looked up at Aang, who had now surrounded himself in a crystal tent. Within moments the tent began to glow. He burst out of the tent, in his Avatar State. So he gave up Katara...did that mean that I should give up Zuko? I glanced back towards Zuko. I couldn't let him go even if I tried. There had to be some way to get him back and I knew Uncle Iroh would help me.

All of sudden, I saw Azula shoot lightning at Aang. In horror, I watched as Aang began to fall from the sky. Katara rushed over to us. She must have forgotten that I was there because I got a little wet from the water that she used to catch Aang. I stood in front of her when she had Aang in her arms. I didn't dare to look at Zuko but I could feel his gaze on me. I saw a wall of fire separate me and Zuko. I turned slightly to see Uncle Iroh coming down. He landed in front of me.

"You've got to get out of here. I'll hold them off for as long as I can," Uncle Iroh said. I readied my sword.

"You too Belle, you've got to go with your friends," Uncle Iroh said. I looked at him in horror.

"Bu...but I'm not going to leave you!" I exclaimed.

"Go now!" he yelled. I looked from him to Zuko and my eyes filled with tears. Katara tugged me along. I grabbed Natasha in my arms. I don't know how Katara managed to carry me and Aang with her Waterbending trick. I was too transfixed on Zuko and Uncle Iroh. I watched as they disappeared from me.

I watched Aang as Katara gave him the Spirit Oasis Water. His arrow glowed with life and he slowly opened his eyes. I sat on Appa, curled in a ball. Natasha was cuddling with the Earth King's bear. I didn't move. I just stared back at Ba Sing Se.

"The Earth Kingdom...has fallen," the Earth King said gravely. Within a few minutes, I felt eyes staring at me.

"...well, I hoped you learned your lesson," Sokka said sarcastically.

"What do you want me to say Sokka?" I said angrily, "...that I was wrong? That I was stupid for caring about someone? That I should have stayed with you guys? That I'm sorry? BECAUSE I'M NOT!" I felt tears run down my face as I said this. I turned away from them all.

I had lost everything in a matter of hours. I didn't know where Zito was. Uncle Iroh had been captured. And Zuko...

...Zuko...

There was no one there to comfort me. No one to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay. My entire family was gone and I was once again alone.


	24. Chapter 24: Without You

_So I normally don't do author's notes but i decided what the heck! Yes, I realize that technically Avatar has ended and I do want to keep to my original format; sticking to the creator's story with my added character. However, believe it or not, I wrote this fan fiction months ago and I'm getting bored. Not to mention I'm suffering from AWS. So, I'm going on the assumption that the season 2 finale and the beginning of season 3 will have at least a one week gap, plenty of time for loads of events! And if not, oh well lol. So, my fans (though there isn't many I know), I give you chapter 24!_

Chapter 24: Without You

I was in the forest again. Except this time I knew what I was looking for. I followed the path, hoping to find the person that I loved at the end. But he wasn't there. No one was there. Nothing but darkness. I stood there for only a moment and then I cried.

"Belle….Belle," I heard Zuko call. Were the previous events nothing more than a horrible nightmare? Could I open my eyes and find my Zuko waking me up? I would wake up and find Zuko sitting by my bedside and I would throw my arms around him. And tell him that I loved him, that I loved him so much. I opened my eyes but Zuko wasn't there. I looked up and saw Katara staring at me. I looked around and we were still flying. So, it wasn't a dream, it was real. Zuko had really betrayed me. He had chosen his honor over me. I sat up, ashamed. How could I have been so blind? What had I been thinking? I was a complete idiot.

But at the same time I couldn't help but feel that empty space inside of me. There seemed to be a sharp pain tearing at my heart. I couldn't help but feel even lonelier than I already did. A part of me wanted to tell them to stop, to let me down so I could go back. But I also knew that I couldn't do that. I would be even more of a traitor than I already was.

Stuck between two worlds but no idea of which one to choose. One was the 'right' world, the one where I would help Aang, teach him firebending. Then we would go to the Fire Nation and stop Fire Lord Ozai. But my heart wanted the other world, the world with Zuko and Iroh.

I moaned and laid down on Appa's soft fur. I had never been so confused in my life. What was the right way? What was I suppose to do? Lee...help me...Zito help me...someone...anyone...help.

I closed my eyes for a moment. I tried to search deep down inside myself. Like Uncle Iroh had said to Zuko. I thought of the time I had spent with Aang, Katara, and Sokka. I remembered how happy I was when I was with them. Then I remembered staying on Zuko's ship and how miserable I was. I remembered all the time I spent with Zuko and Uncle Iroh and at times how I was completely miserable. Especially all the times Zuko yelled or hurt me. Like how pissed off I was at him right now for siding with Azula and how Uncle Iroh made me leave them behind. But no matter how dark things seemed to get, no matter how upset I was, there was still something that I felt that I never felt when I was with Aang, Katara, and Sokka. I felt like I belonged somewhere. I felt like I was home. Searching a year for Zito and out of all the people I had encountered, Zuko and Uncle Iroh's company had never been so comforting. The always angry banished prince and the tea lover had become so precious to me and I held them both close to my heart.

It was then that I realized something. What the hell was I doing here? As much as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph were my friends, I still didn't consider them my family. I still didn't feel the same about them. Uncle Iroh and Zuko were my family. And I wasn't going to let them have all the fun.

I sat up and looked at Katara.

"Turn around," I said. She looked at me, confused.

"What? Are you crazy!" Sokka said. I looked over to him.

"Fine. Then just land. I don't care. I'll walk back to Ba Sing Se."

"Look Belle, I know you like Zuko and all but this is ridiculous. He doesn't want you." I stood up on Appa, nearly falling but I caught myself.

"This isn't just about Zuko! Uncle Iroh is my family too and I'm not going to let anything happen to him. I lost my brother, I'm not going to lose Uncle Iroh too. So you can just shut the hell up and land or I'll jump off!" I yelled.

"Look we've all lost someone to the war but that doesn't mean you should go off getting yourself killed," Sokka replied.

"See this is the exact reason why I left in the first place! You think that Lee died because of the war? Well, I got news for you pal, he died because of me! Because I'm a firebender! His own people killed him..." I cried. I felt steam rising from my nose. In rage, I shot a fireblast in the air away from everyone. Why were they always so damn difficult? I turned around to face them.

"Are you going to land Appa or do I have to jump off?" I asked coolly. Katara remained silent as she began to land Appa. When we were low enough, I jumped down. Natasha followed me. I turned around to face them again.

"...I know it doesn't mean much...but...when Aang faces the Fire Lord...you can count on me...whether you want to or not..." I said quietly. As much as I loved Uncle Iroh and Zuko there was still no way in hell I was going to fight alongside the Fire Lord. I didn't dare to look directly in their eyes. They couldn't possibly understand the complications of my life.

"...We'll see you there," Katara said. I looked up and nodded. Suddenly I felt a gust of wind as Appa began to fly high into the air. I watched them for a moment then turned to Natasha.

"Come on, we've got a family to save."

We couldn't have gotten too far. Unless I had been asleep for a really long time which I doubted. Walking wasn't easy. It was late and I was dead tired. Not to mention, it was hard to figure out how to get exactly to Ba Sing Se. Where's a yellow brick road when you need one? I picked up Natasha when she was getting tired. At times I felt like I should rest but decided not to. Who knows what they would do to Uncle Iroh.

After about an hour or two of walking, I finally collapsed on the ground. I needed to sleep but I didn't want to. _No _I kept telling my body. _You have to get up. You have to save Uncle Iroh. You have to get up. _But it was impossible. I couldn't get up. I fell into a deep sleep.

I felt the sun beating down on me as I slowly opened my eyes. Natasha was playing with my hair. I managed to smile. I laid down for a few moments, not thinking of anything. Natasha then began to eat my hair. I got up and picked up the little kitten. I looked around as the grass stretched for miles. How long had I been asleep? I knew it wasn't just a few hours. More like days.

I continued to look out. There was a light breeze and I could hear birds chirping. I took a deep sigh at the peacefulness. A perfect summer day. How I wished Lee was here and Zito. I wished everyone was here, including Zuko and Uncle Iroh, and we could all enjoy this summer day. But most of all, I wished that this stupid war was over.

It was then that I snapped back into reality. Alarmed, I scanned the horizon for the huge city walls. To the right, there were some more grassland but then I laid my eyes on the walls of Ba Sing Se. I immediately rose to my feet and picked up Natasha. I made my way towards the city once more.


	25. Chapter 25: Precious to Me

_Warning: this chapter contains slightly M-ish material. Not really though I'd just thought I'd warn you. Oh yes and well since there have been rumors of season three not starting until september, I have decided that once the premiere date is confirmed, and if it is september, I'm going to write the end of it. I mean who wants to wait until september right? So here you go the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

Chapter 25: Precious to Me

"Let me in damn it!" I yelled at the palace guard.

"No one is allowed in the palace, miss," he said.

"I don't give a rat's ass! You're going to let me in now!" I screamed. The man grabbed my arm and began to drag me away.

"No! Let me go! I have to see Prince Zuko!" I didn't want to mention that I was also here to bust out Uncle Iroh considering I could be put in jail as well.

"We'll take her," a member of the Dai Li said as he and another member came from the palace. I was being tossed like a potato or something. One minute I was in the guard's hand and the next I was being taken by the Dai Li. But I didn't struggle; they were taking me exactly where I wanted to go. I picked up Natasha and let them lead the way.

We approached two huge doors that led to the throne room. One of the Dai Li went inside while the other stayed with me.

"Princess," I could hear him say.

"What?" she said, a little annoyed.

"There is a young girl here who wants to speak with you," the Dai Li agent said. That is so not true! I didn't want to see or speak with Azula! I wanted to avoid her at all costs.

"Fine, just let her in," she said. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. At her words, I couldn't help but feel my heart race. The door began to open. The other Dai Li member led me inside.

Man, Azula sure was pissed to see me. I would pay serious money to see the look on her face again.

"You!" she yelled as she jumped out of her seat. I gave a small, sweet smile.

"Belle?" Zuko said in complete confusion. I looked his way.

"Zuko!" I exclaimed. I couldn't believe that I was happy to see him. He immediately got up and was about to walk towards me, but he stopped as Azula shot a glare towards him.

"What are you doing? She's the enemy!" Azula said, "Lock her up!"

"Aren't you even going to listen to what I have to say?" I asked. She sat back down in her throne, clutching the arm rests tightly. What she wouldn't give to see me dead.

"Zuko, although I don't agree with what you did...you're still my family...and family doesn't get left behind..." I said, _Especially when I'm the one who gets left behind, _"please...I don't want to be alone..."

"Oh please! You can't expect us to believe this bull shit!" Azula said.

"It's not lies! It's the truth!" I pleaded. I then turned to Zuko.

"Zuko, you believe me, don't you?" I asked. He looked at me for a moment and then nodded.

"Let her stay...we can trust her," Zuko said. Azula was about to protest but then she stopped, smiling menacingly. So the game was restarting so quickly.

It was nightfall and I had on a new dress. They probably stole it from some poor unfortunate soul in the palace. I slipped out of my room and made my way towards the cellar. I didn't know how I was going to get past the Dai Li but I had to try. As if by some miracle, there were no Dai Li. I searched the cellars. I finally came to a cellar and saw someone sitting in the shadows of the cell so I couldn't see who it was.

"Uncle Iroh?" I asked quietly. I was amazed at how small my voice sounded.

"Belle?" I heard Uncle Iroh say and I was relieved. I held on to the bars of the cellar door as I strained to see Uncle Iroh. I saw him sit up and walk to the cellar door.

"Uncle Iroh, I'm sorry," I cried. I was so happy to see him. I desperately wanted to rush in there and hold onto him tightly. I wished I could break him out now but I knew now wasn't the time.

"Belle, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came to rescue you," I said.

"But Belle, I told you to stay with your friends."

"I know but...I couldn't...I didn't want to lose you," I cried. I felt him put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," he said reassuringly. I looked up and smiled, the tears still wet on my face. "Now you need to go before anyone sees you."

"I'll come back," I promised. I was reluctant to leave Uncle Iroh behind but I knew I had to. Just as I was leaving, I saw a few Dai Li coming. I didn't think they saw me.

Just as I was making my way to my room, I felt someone clasp their hand over my mouth. The next moment I was pulled into a room. I looked to see Zuko's amber eyes staring back at me and I felt a ping in my heart. He lifted his hand off of my mouth but he held onto my arms gently.

"Belle, what are you doing here?" he asked, clearly upset.

"I already told you," I whispered.

"No, I mean why are you _really _here."

"Fine, you want the truth?"

"Yes."

"I'm here to save Uncle Iroh."

"Belle, are you crazy? Do you have any idea what Azula would do to you if she found you snooping around in the cellar?" he said and he held onto me tighter, "And not just Azula, what about my father? He'll kill you Belle."

"But, he's your father; he wouldn't do that to me."

"Belle, you're from the Earth Kingdom. You're the enemy...that's why you have to leave. Come on. I'm taking you home." He then began to pull me towards the door. But I pulled my arm away.

"No. I'm not leaving Uncle Iroh and I'm not leaving you. I can take care of myself. I'm not a child."

"Belle..." Zuko said, still wanting me to leave. Our eyes met for a moment. My body began to heat up as he came closer to me. I looked away as he placed his hand on my cheek. For a moment, I thought my heart had stopped beating. I then looked back up at him as he gently brushed his lips against mine. My heart began to race wildly but at the same time it seemed to be beating slower than usual. When he let go of me, I placed my hand gently on his scar and I held my face close to his. Our noses gently touched each other and I could smell his sweet breath.

"I love you," I whispered softly.

"I love you too," he whispered back and he pressed his lips against mine again. He began to slowly send kisses down the side of my jaw. I continued to kiss him too as he laid me down gently on the bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my hands moved through his hair. A wave of emotions began to fill my body as he continued to kiss my neck. I was both happy but scared at the same time. My breathing suddenly became heavier when he kissed the very tip of my chest and continued to kiss it. I mimicked his movements and kissed his chest and neck as well. I felt Zuko as he began to remove the string around my dress. I kissed his cheek and held his head close to my face. He was beginning to open up my dress and his body moved closer to mine, giving off an intense amount of heat. His skin was very warm and I wondered if it had anything to do with firebending. Head still lightly touching my face, Zuko began to kiss my neck harder. I moaned slightly. I could smell the sweetness of his hair, continuing to run my fingers through it. Although it was wrong, I desperately wanted him to be mine.

He then slowly sat up and looked at me for a moment. I could feel that my cheeks were red and my breathing was very heavy. Beads of sweat covered his face from nervousness. He then got up and looked away from me.

"I can't..." he said, still not looking at me. I sat up and tied the string back up around my dress. I then placed a hand on his shoulder. He still didn't look up at me.

"Don't you see Belle? I'm not good enough for you. I don't deserve you...I...I don't want to hurt you anymore. You need to just...forget about me." I stared at him for a moment.

"Don't say that Zuko. Don't you dare say that," I said and he looked up at me, "I could never forget about you...I love you, besides you still love your father no matter what he did to you. And what you've done to me isn't nearly as bad." I then rested my head on his shoulder. "I know things seem bad Zuko, but it's going to get better. I know it will." I held onto to him tightly. We laid there in silence for a long time.

"...Zuko...are you angry at me for coming back?" I asked quietly. He wrapped his arms around me and pushed my hair back.

"...Yes," he said, "...but I'm also glad."


	26. Chapter 26: Love and Death

_So, here's another chapter. Oh yes, I keep forgetting to mention that chapter 24 was the start of part 3 hehe. woops. Well, since the avatar season premiere is looking towards september, I have decided to finish the story my own way. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story! _

* * *

Chapter 26: Love and Death

I woke up to find myself sleeping across from Zuko. He was still wearing the same clothes from last night. I looked down to see that I still had my dress on too and that Natasha was sleeping at the end of the bed. The sun was beating down on me from the window. I focused my gaze back on Zuko. He looked so peaceful sleeping. I could feel his warm breath lightly touching my face. I reached over and lightly kissed his forehead. He woke up and looked at me.

"Hello my Prince Zuko," I said lightly and playfully.

"Belle," he said, slightly confused, as he reached out his hand to touch my face. I smiled at him.

"It wasn't a dream...you're really here," he said quietly as he continued to stroke my face.

"Of course I am..." I said with a slight laugh. I then rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes. I couldn't believe I was this tired but everything seemed so peaceful again. I then gently stroked his chest as he brushed my hair back.

"Zuko...what happened last night?" I asked, my voice sounded small and fragile.

"You fell asleep," he said. There was a tint of tiredness in his voice. I looked up at him to see that his eyes were closed. It was then that something occurred to me. He was tired...and I was tired...and we were in bed together...

"Zuko...we didn't do anything...right?" I asked a little nervous. He opened his eyes and looked down at me. It took him a moment to figure out what I was talking about. His lips curled into a crooked smile.

"No Belle," he said. I was relieved and rested my head close to his neck. Yes, I remembered now. I had wanted to but Zuko didn't but that was okay because all that mattered was we were together again.

"...Zuko...when did you know?" I asked him as I cuddled next to him.

"Know what?" he asked back, nearly asleep.

"When did you know that you loved me?" He didn't say anything for a while.

"When we were on the mountain together and when you held me," he said softly, "you?"

"...when I thought you were dead...when your ship exploded," I answered just as softly as he did. I knew that he was smiling slightly.

"How stupid of me..." he whispered to himself. How perfect this moment was. I had never felt so relaxed in my entire life. All I wanted to do was sleep next to him forever. I wanted to wake up every morning and find myself next to Zuko. Was that so much to ask? I gently kissed his neck. Zuko gave a big sigh. I felt myself rise and fall with his breath.

"What am I going to do with you, Belle?" he said. I held onto him tightly at his words.

"Don't leave me," I murmured. That was the last thing I wanted.

"I won't leave you," he said gently.

"You promise?"

"Yes." I sat up and faced him. His eyes seemed to be even more golden, richer than before and I knew he wasn't lying. I then bent down and kissed him tenderly. Zuko's arms curled up my back. The same feelings from the previous night came back. My hands made their way up his shirt. I gently rubbed his bare, soft chest. Once again my breathing was heavier when I reached Zuko's stomach. He ran his hand through my long, black hair, trying to distract his sexual desire. His breathing had also become heavier. It was only when I reached his lower abs that Zuko stopped me. I looked down at him apologetically but he forgave me with a gentle kiss. This was all I wanted...just to be with him.

My heart jumped as I heard a knock at the door. Zuko quickly got up and took my arm. He made me hide behind a curtain. Natasha stayed by my feet. I heard the door burst open. I felt my heart beating very fast. I could hardly believe that I was this scared.

"Your girlfriend isn't in her room," I heard Azula say angrily.

"She is NOT my girlfriend!" Zuko yelled and I had to giggle a little despite my fear, "and I don't know where she is." I don't know why I was so scared as I hid behind the curtain but my breathing suddenly became heavier.

"One of my Dai Li agents said they saw her in the dungeon. No doubt she went to see uncle...Zuko she is going to betray you again. We need to get her to the Fire Nation where she'll face trial along with uncle."

"I understand," Zuko said. I heard her footsteps coming towards the curtain. I desperately tried to calm myself down. It was then that I realized why I was so scared. I remembered hiding under the floor as people searched for me above, wanting to kill me. I remembered how afraid I had been as I waited for someone to come and get me the night my parents died. As Azula approached closer to the curtain, I stopped breathing all together. I heard her pause for a moment and then turn around. I could hear her footsteps moving towards the door.

"I'm sorry this had to happen Zuko," Azula said. Pss yeah right. "If you're lucky, maybe father won't sentence her to death."

My eyes widened as she said this and I had to clasp my hands over my mouth to stop myself from screaming. Tears of fear filled my eyes and I could feel the blood drawing from my face. I heard Azula leave the room but I was too afraid to move. Zuko moved the curtain back. I immediately clung to him, crying. I felt myself trembling.

"Belle, calm down," Zuko begged as he held onto me tightly.

"You won't let me die, you won't let me die," I kept saying.

"Belle, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise, I'll keep you safe." I loosened my grip at his words of comfort. He let go of me and I felt his gaze on me. I was still pale and I still felt weak. Zuko gently took my arm and led me out of his room. Natasha followed as well.

"Where are we going?" I asked him weakly. He didn't answer. Or perhaps he did and I couldn't hear him. I then heard voices coming from behind and our pace quickened.

"There she is!" I heard Azula's piercing voice. I felt someone pull me away.

"Zuko!" I yelled. I reached out for Zuko's hand and he tried to grab me. One of the Dai Li agents tied my hands with his gloves. I desperately tried to break free but I was too weak. Something wasn't right, something didn't feel right. It seemed as though all the life was being drawn from me. I felt myself collapse to the floor. I looked up at Zuko for help. His eyes widened as mine began to close. Zuko caught me and held me in his arms. He shook me a little. I think he was trying to tell me something but I couldn't hear him. I couldn't hold out much longer. I decided to close my eyes and just give in to whatever was happening to me.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I was in the forest once more. Why was it always the forest? But this time I knew why. It was because of Lee. His body was in front of me, dripping with blood. My Lee. I looked at my hands and they were covered in blood too. It wasn't my blood or Lee's. I looked over at the other dead bodies. The trees contained burnt marks. My mind was completely numb. All the memories of him began to come back. I started to remember things like the first time I held him when I was little. Or the first time we played in the snow together. Tears began to burn my face. It was then that I saw my dagger lying beside me. I slowly reached for it, my hands trembling. I didn't even know what I was doing anymore. I was just fading, fading into darkness...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I opened my eyes and found myself in a room. It took me a moment to realize that I was in the room Azula had given me. I turned to see Zuko sitting at my bed side. He looked down at me with sadness. I tried to sit up, but Zuko laid me back down. He then placed a rag on my head. I stared at him, in his sad eyes.

"...Zuko, what happened?" I asked him. He didn't say anything for a moment.

"We...don't know...you fainted...but the doctors don't know why."

"...What's going to happen to me now?"

"Nothing. Not until they figure out what's wrong with you...But Belle...it has to do with Lee doesn't it?" I sat up despite Zuko's gesture. I couldn't look into his eyes. Zuko sat closer to me and placed his arm around me. A lump started to form in my throat and I fought back my tears. I didn't want to tell him, I didn't want him to know. I was afraid what he would think of me once when I told him.

"Belle," he whispered in my ear, "please tell me. I want to help you." I took a deep breath, still not looking at him.

"...When I told you about Lee...I...I didn't tell you everything that happened. When I woke up...and when I found Lee, the earthbenders...they were still there...the grabbed me...and they tried to..." but I couldn't say it. I cried a waterfall of tears. Zuko's grip on me tightened with hatred for the earthbenders.

"They didn't touch me Zuko," I said reassuringly, "...because I killed them before they could." More tears filled my eyes. It was just like when I first told Zuko about Lee. Except this time Zuko was holding onto me and I was glad. He held on to me tightly, close to his heart. I listened to the sadness of his heartbeat and I knew that although he didn't show it on the outside, on the inside he was crying. Crying for me.

"Belle, why didn't you tell me?" he asked me gently.

"I don't know...I was so ashamed of what I did...I didn't want anyone to know...I'm sorry...please forgive me," I cried.

"You don't have to be sorry. But why is this happening to you now?" It was then that I realized that it was summer, the same time of year when Lee had died. Had it been a year already? A year of pain and suffering?

"I...I think it's because the anniversary of when Lee died...it's coming soon." Zuko pressed his lips against my head. Natasha curled up next to me and began to purr. I wished Uncle Iroh was here too. Zuko held onto me for a long time. We sat there in silence for I don't know how long. It was nice though, I felt like a small, fragile child. The small child that had been hiding inside of me. Maybe, for once, it was alright to be the damsel in distress.

"I have to go," he said to me finally, "you need to sleep."

"I'm fine."

"Stop being stubborn," he said gently as he kissed my forehead. I decided to obey. Not just because I was still drained but also I was afraid I would be sent to the dungeon if Azula saw me awake. I still felt Zuko's presence over me as I drifted to sleep. Like the night after the opening of the tea shop, Zuko leaned close to me.

"It's my turn to watch over you."


	27. Chapter 27: Breakfast in Bed

Chapter 27: Breakfast in Bed

I could hear people talking. I kept my eyes closed and pretended to be asleep.

"She's fine, she's just upset," Zuko said defensively.

"I know this is hard for you but she is not fine. She's very sick," Azula said, a tone of nastiness in her voice.

"You're lying!" Zuko yelled. The sweetness was gone in his voice and he was once again the always angry prince.

"Then go talk to the doctors if you think I'm lying. Belle is dying, Zuko. There's no point in caring for her anymore." I froze. Dying? Me, dying? But that was impossible, I didn't feel like I was dying. I just felt tired a lot but that could mean anything. It must have been part of Azula's plot to get rid of me.

"I suggest that you focus your time and concentration on what your going to say to father when we go to the Fire Nation. I won't tell him that you tried to help the enemy escape but mark my words Zuko if you betray me I will tell him everything." As soon as Azula left, I slowly opened my eyes, looking innocently at Zuko. I gave him a small smile but he didn't smile back. He looked slightly paler than before and his gaze was like a lost child.

"What's wrong?" I asked innocently but I knew what was wrong. He looked at me for a moment but then turned his gaze away.

"Nothing," he said, "Belle?"

"Yeah?" I asked quietly.

"Are you sure this is all because of Lee?" I wanted to say yes but the truth was I wasn't too sure myself. Maybe Azula was right after all. Maybe I was dying, but why? There was nothing wrong with me. I didn't think there was anything wrong with me. I was just tired, nothing more.

"I...I don't know," I said quietly. Zuko looked back down at me a hint of fear in his eyes. I couldn't blame him though, if I was indeed dying, I knew he didn't want to see me die. But I also didn't want to be alone. It was as though Zuko had put up his shield once more and I wasn't aloud in.

"But Zuko...you promised you wouldn't leave me, remember?" I said softly. He looked at me for a moment and sighed.

"Your best chance is to stay here and come with us to the Fire Nation," he said. I knew he was still upset by this but his voice showed hardly any emotion. I sat up, trying to cheer him up.

"And you can show me the palace right?" I asked hopefully. He nodded but I knew he had his doubts that I would even make it that far.

"I've always wanted to see where you lived...," I said dreamily. I rested my head on his chest but I felt his body tense up, not wanting me. Yet despite this, Zuko awkwardly placed his arms around me.

"And then, when this is all over, you can see where I live," I continued as I shut my eyes. Zuko's body became even tenser at these words.

"I'm sorry Zuko," I murmured softly but I don't think he heard me.

When I awoke, it was morning again. I wasn't nearly as drowsy as before. Zuko was gone but Natasha was curled up at the end of the bed. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Just as I was about to get out of bed, the door opened. Zuko came in with a tray of food in his hands.

"You're awake," he said, still in his angry prince voice but I also heard a tint of relief in his voice as well.

"Uh-huh," I said cheerfully. I didn't want to upset him again.

"I brought you something to eat." He gently placed the tray in front of me. I took a slice of bread when I noticed something peculiar.

"What the hell!" I exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked, thinking that there was something wrong with the food.

"When I went to sleep, I was wearing my dress. But now I'm wearing a nightgown. Who the hell undressed me!" I shot a glance at Zuko.

"It wasn't Azula was it! Please tell me it wasn't her," I said and I shook him a little. The thought in my mind immediately sent chills down my spine. I looked back at Zuko for a moment and he looked nervous.

"It was YOU! Zuko, that is INAPPROPRIATE! Just, just uhhh!" I screamed completely disturbed. (that one goes to all my friends, inappropriate!)

"You didn't seem too bothered by it before..."

"That was different, I was conscious!"

"I didn't look, I swear... and you were sick," Zuko said, embarrassed.

"Zuko, I have lost all respect for you," I said. I took a sip of milk.

"You were asleep for days and—" Zuko began trying to explain himself. I spit out whatever milk I was drinking.

"What! I was asleep for days!" I yelled in disbelief.

"Well, I can see you're back to normal," Zuko said.

"Damn strait I am," I said still pissed, "How did you know I was going to wake up?"

"The food was originally for me," Zuko said flatly.

"So, you undressed me and you lied, that's good to know," I said simply as I took another bite of bread. I handed Zuko a piece too. "Here, now shut up and eat before I get mad at you again."

Zuko took the bread and we ate the rest of breakfast together. We both didn't really say anything. I was hoping he would kiss my cheek or even tell me he loved me. But he didn't. He was his old self again. A part of me wanted to cry but I knew I couldn't. Not in front of him. There was another part of me that wanted to kiss him but I knew he would get really pissed off at me. I would just have to prove to him that I was completely fine and I wasn't going to die.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to change _alone_," I said when we finished breakfast. Zuko glared at me for a moment but then got up and began to walk out.

"Zuko," I called and he turned around, "now that I'm awake are they going to put me in jail?"

"No, don't worry about it...just get dressed."

"Zuko," I called one more time. He reluctantly stopped.

"What Belle?" he asked, slightly annoyed. I tried to think of something to say, anything. I didn't want him to leave me but I couldn't tell him that.

"You know my birthday past, I'm sixteen now," I said innocently. It was the only thing I could think of. Not to mention, I did want to hint to Zuko that I was now marrying age.

"Congratulations," he said though I could tell he was thinking the exact same thing. We stared at each other for a while. I was waiting for him to say something more but he was being a stubborn ass. I knew he still loved me, he was just afraid. Afraid that he would loose me. It was then that I knew I couldn't die. Not because I was afraid to die, because I wasn't afraid of dying from sickness. It was the only hope I had to see Lee again. I couldn't die because I knew Zuko would be crushed. He had already lost his mother; he didn't have to loose anyone else he cared about.

I took my gaze off of Zuko as I could see it was upsetting him. He stepped out of the room to let me change.


	28. Chapter 28: A Starry Night

Chapter 28: A Starry Night

An entire day of Zuko pushing me away was the worst day of my life. The entire day had been nothing but misery. But it wasn't just because I felt lonely, oh no. I, at times, tried to avoid Zuko. Walking into the same room with him, having him stare at me for a moment, and then look as though he was going to cry was the worst feeling in the world. Azula, that horrid, horrid person! I didn't care what she did to me, let me stand trial, I could care less. But hurting Zuko was intolerable. I would get back at her, surely I would.

Then to top it all off, there was Mai. Everything was boring to her. Well not everything. Zuko, _my _Zuko, was the only thing that she saw entertaining. Now I understood why Azula had not protested in me staying. She wanted to take me down from the inside. Hurt me, until I was nothing. I had to stop her; I had to come up with something. But for now, I needed to help Zuko. He was a wreck with all this crap although he didn't show it.

It was a cold, summer night. The day had passed all too quickly. Natasha walked beside me as I searched the palace for Zuko. I held onto a blanket, in case I got cold although I was wearing a warm dress. I opened one of the many doors of the palace. Mai was there, sitting comfortably.

"Hello Mai," I said as sweetly as possible. Though I wanted to curse her off and possibly beat the crap out of her, I knew I couldn't do that. I was still "sick" after all and if they found out I was feeling perfectly fine, I could find myself in the cellars.

"What do you want?" she asked in a monotone voice.

"I just wanted to know if you knew where Zuko was," I said quietly. There was still a tiny part of me that wanted to get along with Mai. After all, she was a friend or something with Zuko.

"I haven't seen him," she said, slightly alarmed. Of course, she didn't think anything was wrong with him. No one did. Except me. To everyone else, Zuko was acting his normal self and I was the only one who could see the true Zuko.

"Okay." Well she was very helpful.

I finally found him, sitting by himself outside.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked gently from behind.

"No," he answered, not turning to face me. He clearly didn't want me there but I walked closer to him anyway.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"Oh, I see," I replied sarcastically, smiling slightly. I went to place a hand on his shoulder but, like he had once done with Song not too long ago, he grabbed my hand to stop me. His hand was ice cold. How long had he been sitting out here? I took the blanket that was in my arms and placed it around him.

"Here, you're cold," I said softly and I sat next to him. He didn't dare to look at me but I continued to stare at him. I then focused my gaze at the night sky. The stars twinkled down at both of us.

"They're beautiful, aren't they," I said. It was then that Zuko turned to me, confused.

"The stars, silly," I teased. My voice was still kind, and gentle. I really wanted to yell at him, tell him "you're such a dumb ass! I'm not dying you idiot! It's just Azula trying to torture me because she can't stand me!" but I knew I couldn't. Unfortunately. He looked up at the stars, in some sort of daze. I wondered what he was thinking.

"Zuko, have you ever heard of a guardian angel?" I asked. I didn't exactly know why I had asked the question. He probably had no idea what I was talking about. It was one of those things that he considered "garbage".

"My mother once told me about them," he said quietly. Damn it! What was wrong with me? The last thing I wanted to do was bring up his mother.

"Zito used to tell me stories all the time."

"They're just fairytales, they're not real." I sighed.

"You know what's funny?" I asked, trying to change the subject. He didn't answer, as usual.

"How all the nations see themselves as separate but they share the same stars, the same sky. One sky, one destiny," I continued. (to all the kh fans out there! Kh2fm coming soon yaya!) I shivered slightly as the wind blew. It was then that I began to cough a little. Where did that come from? Zuko placed the blanket around me.

"Here, I don't need it," he told me. But I could feel the coldness of his body through the blanket. I cuddled closely to Zuko, letting him have my warmth. He was reluctant at this but he eventually gave in.

"Zuko," I whispered as I leaned into his ear, "Remember, no matter where you go, I'm always with you. I'll be your guardian angel." I gently kissed his cold cheek and rested back on his chest to hear his heart beat. Thump, thump I heard. I nearly fell asleep at the sound of his heart beat and breathing.

"Come on, it's too cold for you," he said, his voice unchanged. It was then that I realized I was shivering more than usual and my skin felt icy cold. He helped me up and led me inside. I hated being treated like a child but at the same time I wanted Zuko to show me kindness.

We walked inside only to be greeted by Mai. Her face flashed red at the sight of me. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to glare at her, tell her to back off. But at the same time, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her as I remembered how hurt I was when I saw Zuko with Jin. Luckily, Zuko continued to take me to my room. Looking back at Mai, I noticed that there was pity in her eyes. I couldn't help but wonder if that pity was meant for me or Zuko.

"Here," he said, handing me a rag as I sat on my bed.

"I don't need it," I whined.

"But Belle, you're sick and you're getting a fever."

"I'm not getting a fever. I'm not sick!" I shouted. He sighed.

"Fine, but at least rest," he begged.

"I'm sixteen Zuko! I'm not a child! I don't need you to take care of me," I snapped. Zuko backed off but continued to gaze his sad eyes at me.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, "I...I guess I'm just...upset...the anniversary is in a few days...and I just..." I bit my lip and fought back the tears. Zuko didn't give any words of comfort though I couldn't help but think that he wanted to help.

"Zuko?" I asked, "Will you take me to Uncle Iroh?" I had promised to go and see him again but the Dai Li were everywhere. Maybe he could offer some comfort. Zuko didn't answer for a long time.

"Will you promise not to pull a fast one?" he asked me. I nodded. He looked at me for a moment and sighed as though I was now his burden. Taking my arm, Zuko led me once more out of my room. We walked briskly but not nearly as fast when he had tried to help me escape. And this time, Zuko was less willing to take me to the cellars.

When we reached the entrance, the Dai Li were guarding the door. No surprise there. Zuko made me wait a little behind while he talked to the guards. After a few minutes, he came back for me and led me into the cells. Zuko stopped as soon as we entered and kept his face close to my ear.

"I'll be back in the morning," he whispered.

"You mean, you're going to leave me in the cell all night?" I whispered back.

"It's the only way. I have to wait until they switch shifts. I'll come back, don't worry." He handed me over to the Dai Li. I was a little scared at first and I didn't stop looking in Zuko's direction.

The Dai Li brought me to Uncle Iroh's cell. I immediately ran over to him and threw my arms around him. And I cried. I didn't know why I was crying exactly. I felt Uncle Iroh pat me gently, trying to get me to stop crying. But I couldn't. I was a lost, scared child searching for something. All the feelings that I had tried to hide, all the feelings that I had kept bottled up inside of me for a year had finally come out.

"Belle, please don't cry," Uncle Iroh said. I tried to calm myself down but it hurt so much. My heart was in so much pain. In ten minutes time I had finally stopped my tears mainly because there were none left. For now at least. I sat and curled into a ball in the dark and gloomy cell. Uncle Iroh waited to talk to me until I was alright.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"Belle, what is happening to you? You are not the same girl I once knew."

"I...I don't know. The doctors upstairs say I'm going to die...I guess I'm scared and Zuko's scared but I don't want to scare him."

"Do you think you're dying?" Uncle Iroh asked me quietly.

"I don't know what to think anymore," I said miserably. I was actually starting to think that maybe I was dying but from what?

"...Belle, what hurts you?" he asked. I looked at him for a moment.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well if you are sick, then something must hurt, something must be bothering you." I thought for a moment. I knew what the answer was but I was afraid to tell him. I was afraid to know if I was really dying.

"My heart," I finally answered as I placed my hand over it.

"I see...and when does it hurt you Belle?" I had to think for a moment.

"Whenever I think of Lee and how I couldn't save him...and Zito leaving me...and when I think of you in this miserable cell and I can't do anything about it," I said as I began to cry again, "but mostly whenever I'm around Zuko and I see how upset he is because he thinks I'm going to die. No one else can see it but I see it everyday and it hurts knowing that it's all my fault!" I had to clutch my heart as it began to sting. It had never hurt this much before, physical pain...but why did it hurt so much? Why did my heart pain me so?

"Why does it hurt Uncle! Why does my heart hurt so much? Why..." I cried. I buried my face in my knees.

"Belle when did your heart start hurting you?" Uncle Iroh asked me gently. I looked up and wiped my eyes.

"...I don't know...I guess when we were all in the cave in Ba Sing Se."

"Hmm...Belle, your heart hurts because you are making it hurt," Uncle Iroh said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"You blame yourself for all these things but you also punish yourself for it. When you blame yourself, you are causing the pain to your heart."

"So...I'm not dying?"

"If you continue to torment yourself, you could cause your own heart to collapse," Uncle Iroh answered solemnly.

"But how do I stop it?"

"You must learn to stop blaming yourself for what happens to the people you care about. But there are other ways as well. Those ways, however, you will have to figure out on your own." I sat silently in the dark thinking of what he said. How else could I heal my heart? I thought for a moment and realized that the only time when I believed that I could be dying or when it bothered me most was when Zuko rejected me. When he hid his feelings from me, I just wanted him to tell me how he felt about me. I wanted to hear those words that he had told me not to long ago.

"_I love you Belle."_

That was what must be done to free my heart. That was what must happen to save me. I leaned on Uncle Iroh's shoulder and began to drift to sleep.

_An angel's broken heart can cause much pain and sorrow. And the only one who could save the dying angel was her handsome prince. _


	29. Chapter 29: The Day of What?

_Hello everyone! So here's the next chapter and in case you're wondering I am writing a sequal...but I won't ruin the surprise. The best prize is a surpise after all hehe!_

* * *

Chapter 29: The Day of What?

I woke up to find myself still in the dark and gloomy prison with a small blanket over me. Uncle Iroh was sleeping across from me, his back arched against the prison wall. I sat up, off the cold, hard prison bed. Looking down at Uncle Iroh, I had to cling to my heart as the pain seeped in.

_Uncle Iroh, I won't lose you...I can't lose you. _

One of the Dai Li agents opened up the cell.

"You are free to go now miss," he said to me. But I didn't want to leave. I knew that I had to. My life was at stake. Uncle Iroh's life was at stake and Zuko's life was at stake. Before I departed I bent down and kissed Uncle Iroh's forehead. I walked out of the prison cell, leaving Uncle Iroh behind.

Zuko was waiting for me at the entrance to the cells with Natasha by his side. He managed to give a slight smile.

"You look better," he said to me.

"I do?" I asked because I felt like crap. I picked up Natasha and we began to walk upstairs.

"You aren't as pale as you were yesterday," he replied, "come on, Azula wants to see us. It's something important." Azula. Bleh.

"Do we have to?" I asked. Zuko gave me a strange look as though missing this little meeting was out of the question. I stroked the pigmy panther in my arms. Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Your pet wouldn't stop following me," he said irritated.

"Well that's because she likes you," I replied.

"Next time, take it with you. I'm not babysitting it."

"She has a name," I said irritated, "it's NA-TA-SHA."

"Do you think we could bring Uncle Iroh some tea later? I think he'd like that," I asked. Zuko didn't answer my question. We reached the throne room where I guessed the meeting was taking place.

"Don't talk about uncle here," Zuko warned. We entered the room together. There were a few pillows set in front of the throne for us to sit. I was reluctant to sit and look up to Azula.

"Is it story time?" I murmured. Zuko immediately nudged me.

"Belle, I'm warning you, don't do this now," he whispered harshly.

"Aww how cute. They're whispering little love messages!" Ty Lee said in her annoying bubbling voice. I felt my face turn red. I covered it with my hand and turned my face away from the three.

"We are NOT together!" Zuko yelled in frustration. I looked at him and felt that pain in my heart again. But I didn't dare to clasp it. I couldn't let Azula know.

"That's good because you and Mai are betrothed anyway," Ty Lee said. WHAT! I turned and saw Mai blushing.

"Why Belle, you look so surprised. Didn't Zuko ever tell you?" Azula asked a slight smirk curled her lips.

"No, he failed to mention that," I said bitterly. So she did know what was wrong with me. She was trying to destroy me by using my emotions against me. I turned to Zuko to see his reaction but there was no emotion in his face.

"Go on Mai, sit next to your future husband!" Ty Lee shouted playfully as she pushed Mai on the pillow on the opposite side of Zuko.

"Don't touch me," Mai said to Ty Lee. On the inside, I wanted to cry and I could feel my heart tearing at me. Of course you fool, he was already destined to marry another. But then why, why did he say he loved me? Did he not love Mai? Or, did he just forget about her since the three years he had been banished?

"Zuko," I murmured. My heart was now throbbing with pain. Zuko turned and leaned closer to me.

"If I am not needed, then I wish to leave," I whispered.

"Why did you call us, Azula?" Zuko asked. Azula peered down at him due to his attitude towards her. She rose from the throne and walked down to us.

"The Avatar is planning and attack against the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun," Azula said coolly. Ooo sounds interesting.

"What's the Day of Black Sun?" I asked. The others looked at me.

"You must be joking," I heard Mai say lowly.

"The Day of Black Sun is the day of the solar eclipse," Azula answered. Well that answered nothing.

"And what's so special about a solar eclipse?" I asked. Apparently there was something I was missing.

"It means that you won't be able to firebend until the end of the eclipse. None of us will," Azula answered again, clearly annoyed.

"So? Can't we just fight with other weapons when they issue the attack?"

"Not all of us are masters of other weaponry."

"Are you one of those people?" Azula eye's flashed with alarm and complete hatred. I felt Zuko squeeze my arm tightly. Azula quickly recovered and continued with her little speech.

"We need to warn the Fire Lord ahead of time so they can plan a counter attack. Meanwhile, as we make our way for the Fire Nation, we must keep a look out for the Avatar and stop him at all costs." She then turned to me.

"Can you fight against your old friends? Will you defend your country?" Azula asked. I knew I could not answer 'yes' because that would be lying but I was also afraid to hurt Zuko with my other answer.

"...I don't think I can fight. I'm dying remember?" It hurt to say it aloud and my eyes shifted towards Zuko. Once again, there was no emotion. Maybe I really was nothing to him.

I knocked on Zuko's door as I held a tray of tea with one hand. He opened the door and rubbed his eyes.

"What is it Belle?" he asked, annoyed. I noticed that he was in his pajamas...well the little clothing that was considered his pajamas. I blushed and turned my face slightly. Was it really that late?

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to come with me to give Uncle Iroh his tea," I said. He sighed.

"I'll be out in a minute," he said. He shut the door and I waited for a few moments. When the door opened again, Zuko was fully dressed.

We both walked down to the cellars. Zuko still continued to rub his eyes from tiredness. I held the tray and hummed a little. Natasha pranced beside me. He looked down at me.

"How are you so perky this late?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm just...happy...that we're going to see Uncle Iroh and I'm sure he'll love his tea."

"Do you think ...seeing uncle is helping you?" he asked hopefully.

"Uh-huh."

"Belle...don't you ever say anything like that to Azula again. She would throw you in jail in a heart beat."

"'Don't you ever say anything like that again'. What are you, my mother now? Besides, I think she wants worse than that Zuko. And I honestly don't see what's so special about the Day of Black Sun. Why is everyone making a big deal out of it?"

"...It's my birthday..." Zuko said quietly.

"Huh, what is? Today?" I asked him.

"The Day of Black Sun...that's why my father kept telling me I was lucky to be born," he said. I stared at him for a moment.

"'Darkest Day in Fire Nation History' my ass," I spat.

We finally reached the Dai Li guards. Zuko let me walk with him to the guards.

"No one is allowed in. Princess Azula's orders," one of them said immediately.

"Please," I said in my small, childlike voice, "I only want to give Uncle Iroh some tea." I held out the tray to show the two guards.

"Fine, but make it quick," one of them said. I began to walk in but then noticed that Zuko wasn't following me.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked him.

"No." I sighed. I wondered if Zuko had ever seen Uncle Iroh yet. I continued to walk in towards Uncle Iroh's cell.

"Uncle Iroh," I called gently. In a few moments I could see his face.

"It is good to see you again," he replied. I smiled and bent down to slide the tea tray to him.

"I brought you some tea," I said. He took it and chuckled.

"The tea is much appreciated," he said, "and I can see that you are looking much better today." I held onto the bars as Uncle Iroh drank his tea.

"Uncle Iroh," I said, "is Zuko really betrothed?" It had been bothering me all day. I couldn't tell if it was true or not. Whether it was a sick and twisted plot or actual facts I couldn't be sure.

"Princess Azula told you about that, didn't she?" Uncle Iroh asked. I nodded.

"Prince Zuko's betrothal was true but you mustn't let that get to you, Belle."

"What do you mean 'was'?"

"Once when Prince Zuko was banished the betrothal was, let's say temporarily cancelled."

"So, there's still hope?" I asked.

"There will always be hope." One of the Dai Li agents came by.

"Time's up," he said to me.

"Good bye Uncle Iroh," I said.

"I look forward to seeing you soon." The Dai Li agent escorted me out of the cellars and back to Zuko.

"Let's get out of here," Zuko said. He tugged me along up the stairs.

Zuko led me to my room. I opened the door and then turned to him.

"Good night Zuko," I said. I went to kiss his cheek, the side with the scar knowing that if it hadn't been for his banishment, we would have never met. But Zuko put his fingers to my lips to stop me.

"Good night," he said and he turned to walk back to his room. I watched him for a few moments and then shut my door.

oOoOoOoO

I didn't know where I was. There was a whole crowd of people in what seemed like stands. It was as though I was the center of attention. I was on my knees, crying. But why was I crying? I looked up and saw someone hovering over me. His face was covered but I could see a crown on his head. It was the Fire Lord. He suddenly grabbed my arm. What was he doing? Was he going to kill me for loving Zuko?

I saw him summon fire from his hand. I shut my eyes and felt a surge of pain on the left side of my face. I cried out. It was then that I realized I wasn't me. I was Zuko. I was feeling his pain from the day of his banishment. I wanted it to stop. Please, let this pain stop! It hurts too much. There was so much pain...

oOoOoOoO

I woke up screaming at the top of my lungs. I held onto the covers tightly. I lifted my trembling hand and placed it on the left side of my face. The scar wasn't there but the pain had been real. That horrible pain. It was then that I started to cry. This was the pain that Zuko had felt on that horrible day. And to think that for one moment I was grateful for his banishment. It didn't matter if we had never met, anything was better than that pain.

I couldn't stand it anymore. I rose out of bed and placed a robe over my nightgown. I opened the door to my room and walked down the hall to Zuko's room. I found Zuko sleeping peacefully. I just stood there for a moment, over him. I didn't want to wake him but at the same time I didn't want to be alone. I wanted to hold onto him to make his pain go away.

Zuko must have felt my presence over him. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Belle, what's wrong?" he asked sleepily. But I didn't say anything. I tried to hold my tears down but I also felt embarrassed for wanting to share the covers with him. I was like a child afraid of the dark. He sighed at me and moved over. I was grateful that he understood. I got under the covers and stayed close to him. He didn't protest. I held onto him tightly and couldn't help but let a few tears trickle on his bare chest.


	30. Chapter 30: Burdens and Nightmares

_So yeah here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!_

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Chapter 30: Burdens and Nightmares

Zuko was hovering over me when I woke up. He placed a warm rag on the left side of my face.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"You must have fallen out of bed or something. The left side of your face was red." Had I accidentally hurt myself as I was dreaming last night? Or was there more...that dream...it felt so real...that pain was too real...

Zuko took the rag away and gently stroked the left side of my face. My heart began to feel lighter. This...was this the other Zuko? Was this the Zuko that loved me? I began to reach my hand towards his scar. I wanted to kiss it, something I had never done. I wanted to make his scar go away forever. Zuko grabbed my wrist and placed it back down. I smiled a little.

"Prince Zuko, I will make that scar go away...someday," I whispered.

Zuko and I were now once again walking down to Uncle Iroh's cell. The day had gone by all too quickly. I was bubbly once more and Zuko was again tired.

"Can't you come down here yourself?" he groaned.

"Oh come on Zuko, you know you want to," I teased.

We reached the cellars and once more I was allowed in. Zuko stayed behind like the previous night. I made my way towards Uncle Iroh's cell.

"Hello Uncle Iroh," I said warmly.

"Has it been a day already?" Uncle Iroh asked.

"Uh-huh. I brought you some tea again." I placed the tea underneath and slid it towards him.

"Uncle Iroh...is it possible to share a dream with someone?" I asked.

"...What do you mean?"

"Is it possible for two people to have the same dream at the same time?"

"Why?"

"I...I think I shared a dream with Zuko last night."

"What happened in the dream?"

"I...I was seeing what Zuko saw...when he was banished...and I felt what Zuko went through," I said. It was hard remembering that horrible dream.

"I'm afraid I don't have the answer Belle. Perhaps the spirits are trying to tell you something."

"Miss," the guard said. Was time up already? What a jip.

"Good night Uncle Iroh," I said.

"I will see you tomorrow."

I walked back over to Zuko. I wrapped my arms around his arm. He tried to let go but I wouldn't let him. We walked back to our rooms.

"Zuko...could I stay with you tonight?" I asked. I had a feeling that another nightmare was on the way.

"Do you know what personal space means?" he asked me. I held onto him tighter.

"The anniversary, it's coming...in a few days."

"And after that, you promise to go back to your own room?"

"Yes." We entered his room and I sat on the bed. He stared at me for a moment and gave me an odd look.

"Do you mind?" he asked. My face turned bright red.

"Oh, sorry," I said quickly and I ran out of the room.

I stood against the wall with Natasha at my feet. As I waited for Zuko to get changed, Mai walked by. Her face flashed with anger.

"What are you doing here?" Mai asked eying Zuko's door.

"I could ask you the same thing," I answered back.

"Belle, you can come in," I heard Zuko say from behind. I gave a fake cough so Mai couldn't hear him.

"So...how ya doing hehe?" I asked nervously. Please don't say anything Zuko, please don't say anything.

"Fine... but you still haven't answered my question."

"Oh, well I was just talking with Zuko but I'm going to go to bed now so..."

"Belle are you coming to bed or not?!" Zuko asked in frustration. Zuko you dumb ass!

"WHAT!" Mai said, her face even redder than before. My face also began to turn red with embarrassment.

"Now, now Mai...it's not what you think..." I began. I backed up against the door and began to turn the knob. But someone from the other side of the door was also turning the knob. Zuko opened the door from behind and I fell backwards into his arms.

"Nice catch," I muttered.

"Belle what are you---," but he stopped as soon as he saw Mai. He lifted me up and we immediately separated.

"What is going on here Zuko?" she asked. Zuko then looked down and realized he was in his pajamas. Oh, now you understand.

"It's all a misunderstanding!" Zuko yelled in frustration. My face was still blushing with embarrassment.

"I was just...spending the night..." I tried to explain.

"Belle, I'll handle this, go get changed," he said, not realizing that he just made it worse. I went into his room and shut the door. I quickly changed into something I found in one of Zuko's drawers. I then sat on the bed and waited for Zuko to come in. He looked very angry.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"It's okay, it's taken care of," Zuko said.

"Is she angry?"

"A little."

"You know, I could have helped you. You didn't have to treat me like a kid," I pointed out.

"You're the one who wanted to spend the night...you're the one whose acting like a six year old," Zuko said as he crawled into bed.

"Well, I'm not exactly comfortable with this either," I snapped. I got into the bed as well.

"So then go sleep in your room," he said.

"I would if I could," I nearly growled. Who knows what would happen with my dreams. I remembered shortly after Lee died, I would see his dead corpse lying next to me. I had to stay with Zito for weeks before the nightmares had finally ceased. I began to place my head on Zuko's chest.

"Not so close," he said. I moved farther away from him and closed my eyes.

"Zuko..." I finally whispered, "do you still love me?" It was something I wanted to know for a long time. But he didn't answer me. I opened my eyes and found his face close to mine. He was sleeping soundlessly. I was tempted to kiss his soft lips but I was afraid he might wake up. That pain in my heart began to resurface as I looked at his scar. I didn't go to sleep for a long time partially because I was afraid to fall into another horrible dream. But eventually, I gave in to my tired eyes.

OoOoOo

I saw a woman. I didn't know who she was but she was very pretty. She had ember eyes like Zuko and long, black hair. I sat by a pond next to her, with turtle ducks. We laughed together. But then, the next moment, I was in a room. She wrapped her arms around me. It was like how I used to always hug Lee. She was talking but I didn't know what she was saying. Then, she began to walk away. She was leaving.

No...don't go...mother.

No, not my mother, Zuko's mother.

I didn't know where I was once more. I tried to look around but for some reason I could barely see out of my left eye. I knew it was open but I still could hardly see what was in front of me. The focus wasn't as sharp as my right eye. I also felt a slight tightness on the left side of my face. I placed my hand on the left side of my face and felt the scar. Zuko's scar.

OoOoOo

I opened my eyes and found myself snuggled close to Zuko's bare chest. His skin was warm and comforting. I gently brushed my lips against his chest. I couldn't resist. I then got up and placed a robe around me. Natasha got off the bed and began to follow me. We both walked out of Zuko's room and towards the kitchen. It was very strange, so big. It was a kitchen fit for a king...oh that's right it was for a king ha! I searched every little inch of the kitchen to find something to eat.

"Excuse me miss?" one of the servants asked from behind. I turned to face them.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just looking for something to eat," I said.

"Uh...you know you can just pull the rope in your room right?" the servant said. Rope? What rope? Palace life was something I was going to have to get used to. I still continued to find breakfast and then began to walk back to Zuko's room. On the way, I bumped into Ty Lee.

"Hi Belle!" she exclaimed. I was surprised she was actually being nice to me. Being around Ozai's Angels was like being back in school.

"Umm hi," I tried to say as nice as possible.

"What have you got there?" she asked.

"Oh, just some breakfast for Zuko," I answered.

"Oh," she said and her voice became flat, "well did you and Zuko have a good time last night?" She laughed a little at her remark. I felt my face turn red. Of course, you couldn't trust anyone in school and you couldn't trust any of the angels.

"We didn't do anything," I said defensively, "maybe I wouldn't be so clingy to Zuko if you and the rest of the 'angels' would stop trying to ...to..." I said but I thought it was slightly mean especially since I knew Ty Lee was another pawn and probably didn't know what she was even doing.

"Good day," I said and I walked away.

Zuko was still sleeping when Natasha and I returned. I placed the tray on a dresser and sat at his bedside. I couldn't help but to just stare at him and I desperately wanted to kiss his soft lips. That's when I couldn't help myself. I bent down and placed my lips gently on his. Just to satisfy the pain in my heart. Zuko immediately woke up and backed away. I got up and turned my face away.

"What are you doing?" he yelled. I continued to look away.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. I didn't expect him to take it this hard. There was one thing that I did notice that made me hopeful: he didn't wipe the kiss away. It took him a few moments before he calmed down. He noticed the tray of food on his dresser.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I made you breakfast...as a thank you," I said, still not looking at him. I suddenly felt someone wrap their arms around me. I felt my body become a little tense at this gesture.

"I'm sorry Belle," I heard Zuko's sweet voice say from behind. I placed my hands on his arms and squeezed them tightly, nearly crying. Zuko was like me, he kept everything hidden. But I was afraid he would end up exploding like I had. I knew that deep down, Zuko still cared about me. But why did he have to hide it?

"It's okay, I forgive you," I said. Again. He finally let go of me and I handed him his breakfast.

"Why did you do that?" he asked me quietly as he ate his breakfast. I managed to blush a little.

"I don't know...I guess spending the night with you, and then getting up to make you breakfast...it felt like...we were married for a moment." I saw his eyes fill with alarm but soon subsided.

"You're so odd." I know.


	31. Chapter 31: Good Bye

Chapter 31: Good Bye

"Where are you going?" Zuko asked me as he saw me sneaking towards the cellars. I had a few flowers in my hand.

"Uhh...nothing," I answered.

"Do you realize what you are getting yourself into?"

"I don't care! I'm tired of spending the entire day with those three as they torment me and use me as one of their...toys. I'm going to spend time with Uncle Iroh," I declared, "...will you cover for me?" Wait that was a bad idea. Zuko was a terrible liar. He stared at me for a while.

"You're sick and you're sleeping in bed," he replied. I stared at him for a long time, trying to see if he would break his gaze. But he didn't, he continued to stare right at me. Well so far so good.

"Hey, you're getting better at this," I teased, "Here have a flower." I handed him one of the flowers I had picked from outside. He took it reluctantly. I looked warmly at his face and smiled. I then picked up Natasha and walked down the stairs. Funny, they seemed a lot creepier when walking by yourself. I felt like I was in a horror story. Any wrong move and I could face death. Sounds entertaining, considering I hadn't had fun in quite a while.

The Dai Li were a little surprised to see me so early but they let me pass. I immediately went to Uncle Iroh's cell. He too, was surprised to see me.

"I brought you a part of summer," I said and I handed him a flower. Summer always seemed to be my favorite season. It also seemed to make me more ditsy than usual. But I would rather be ditsy than completely depressed any day.

"And what are you doing here so early?" he asked, taking the flower. I bet he wished he could make some tea into it.

"I decided to spend the day here," I replied.

"In this dark and gloomy place? That doesn't seem good for you," he observed.

"But it's either that or spending the day with the three tormentors," I answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Azula knows what's making me sick...and she's using her friends to torture me...mostly about Mai and Zuko...the little romantic couple that they are," I said sarcastically.

"Don't let them get to you."

"But I can't help it! No matter how hard I try to block it out, I still feel..."

"Jealous?"

"I'm not jealous!" I defensively said, a little too loud as one of the Dai Li turned to me. Uncle Iroh chuckled a little.

"There's the Belle that I know," he said. I managed to smile a little.

"...Do you think Zuko still cares about me?" I asked.

"Prince Zuko is at a very confused time right now...but when he comes out of it, I think he will see what's really important to him." Wow that was extremely helpful. Basically, he was saying he didn't know. He didn't want to say yes to give me false hopes but he didn't want to say no to depress me. I sighed and slid down against the prison door. I took my flower and began to stroke it gently, smelling its sweet aroma.

"Uncle Iroh, I wish you could come outside," I said.

"As do I. But you should be out enjoying this summer day."

"There's no enjoyment when you're not with your family." We talked nearly the entire day. I know I had much more fun with Uncle Iroh, despite the darkness, than I would have had if I been outside. But all good times must come to an end and the Dai Li eventually kicked me out.

When I went back upstairs, I immediately found Zuko. It was almost as if he had been lingering close by. Like a child, I took his hand and began to lead him outside. After being in the darkness, I wanted to see the sun.

"Come on Zuko let's go outside," I said playfully.

"Do we have to?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Can't you go by yourself?"

"What's the matter? I thought you liked the outside? Besides I want you to come." It was so refreshing being in the afternoon sun. I beckoned Zuko to sit down beside me. I held onto the flower once more. Natasha began to run around the grass playfully. I looked at the flower once more and then placed my body in Zuko's chest. He tried to move away but I wouldn't let him.

"I wish days like these could last forever," I said.

"You were in a dark cell the entire day."

"Yes, but I was happy when I talked with Uncle Iroh. Do you think Azula would let us bring Uncle Iroh outside? Just once?"

"Probably not," he said doubtfully. Way to get my hopes up.

"Please? I promise he won't escape," I said. I had practically given up on that idea. At least, I hadn't thought of a plan. As long as Uncle Iroh was here, I was happy, though I knew I was partially being selfish. I would have to get him out somehow...just not now. Not until after the anniversary.

"Belle, I can't do anything about it. And don't go asking Azula either."

"...It's not fair...she's a ruthless bitch," I muttered. Zuko squeezed me a little.

"Don't say that."

"Why? You know it's true." He didn't respond. It was then that one of the servants came out to greet us.

"Prince Zuko, Princess Azula wishes to see you. She said it was urgent," she said. Zuko rose to his feet and looked down at me.

"I'll be okay," I said. He then followed the servant back inside. I sat outside and Natasha came back to me. I stroked her soft belly for a while. I wondered what Azula wanted with Zuko. Maybe she would tell him something that would cause him to leave.

After only a brief period of time, I went back inside. Looking around for Zuko, I noticed Dai Li agents instead. I followed the little party. When I saw what the commotion was about, I nearly fell apart. They were taking him. They were taking Uncle Iroh away. I ran towards him but one of the Dai Li agents grabbed me.

"Uncle Iroh!" I called. He looked my way and I tried to fight the Dai Li agent. But he wouldn't budge.

"Let me go! Let me go!" I screamed. I tried to firebender my way out but it was no use. He was too strong. When Uncle Iroh had been taken away, the Dai Li agent let me go. I fell to the floor, sobbing. He was gone. The one thing I promised to do and I failed.

"You didn't even let me say good bye," I said bitterly to I didn't know who, "I didn't even get to say good bye."

"Well maybe it wouldn't have come to this if you had just stayed away from him in the first place," I heard that familiar, evil voice. I looked up and turned towards Azula. I immediately began to fill up with hatred as I stared at her tiger eyes.

"You," was all I could say. I got up and continued to glare at her. I was about to go after her but when I was just out of reach, someone pulled me back. I fought viciously until he spun me around and I saw Zuko. He...he was apart of it too? How...how could he?

"How could you!" I cried, "How could you let her take him away from me!" He didn't say anything, just continued to stare at me. But his sympathetic eyes weren't going to work on me this time. "You're just going to let her take him away! You're just going to let him die! What about me, Zuko? What about when I'm to be executed...you know it will happen if I don't first die of a broken heart! You know she'll kill me! And what then? You'll just leave me to die too? I hate you!" I said as I hit his chest with my fists, "I hate you." I cried into his chest. I hated him. I did. I grabbed onto his shirt, wanting to strangle him. But at the same time, I wanted, no I needed, him to hold onto me. And he did. He held onto me tightly. For a moment, I was comforted. Until I remembered who was holding me. I pushed Zuko away from me and stared at him.

"That won't work this time," I said and walked back to my room. I slammed the door as hard as I could. Natasha meowed slightly and climbed on the bed. I fell on my bed and began to cry into a pillow.

_Uncle Iroh...you can't be gone...you can't..._

My heart began to throb and I cried out in pain and sadness. I felt my skin turning pale and my body became weaker. Taking deep breathes, I cried myself to sleep.


	32. Chapter 32: The Anniversary

Chapter 32: The Anniversary

OOoOoO

I was seven. Just two years after my parents had died and now Zito and his wife were having a baby. I saw myself watching Lie, Zito's wife, telling him she was pregnant. I remembered how sad I was, thinking that I was going to be replaced. Why pay attention to a child who wasn't even yours when you had your own child to take care of. And I couldn't help but wish that my parents were there, with me. I wanted them to come back and take me home. Sometimes I imagined them coming over to the estate to pick me up and bring me home. As if their death was nothing but a dream. But I knew I was only kidding myself.

I dreaded the day the baby arrived. Because that meant that I was gone. But when the baby was born, when Lee was finally born, I was no longer upset. Zito came in carrying a small bundle in his arms. He looked sad but I didn't understand why.

"Belle," he said to me, "this is Lee, your brother." I looked at the baby sleeping.

"He's not really my brother...I don't have any other family," I said sadly.

"He can be your brother if you want him to be. He needs you now Belle...he's lost his mother and he needs you to be his big sister." My mind must have skipped the detail about his mother's death because I would later ask where she was. But for now, Zito handed me the baby and I held him in my arms. He was my family now. And the best part was he'd never know we weren't related.

"I'll be the best big sister ever!" I declared to Zito. He smiled and then left me alone with Lee for a while.

"Don't worry baby brother. I'm going to always protect you. We'll always be together," I said and I held him closer to me as though he were a doll. I looked down at him and he smiled at me. The baby smiled and I smiled back.

oOoOoO

I woke up with tears streaming down my face. I moaned at the intense heat. Once again, a rag was placed over my head. Zuko looked down at me, not saying a word. His hair was now up in a ponytail, like it was sometimes in my dreams. I looked back at him with a hint of hatred in my eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. He didn't show any emotion but I could tell it offended him. Or at least I hoped it did.

"I...found you with a fever ...in your room," he said. I looked around. This wasn't my room. Nor Zuko's room.

"Wait...we're...we're not in Ba Sing Se anymore," I said.

"No, we left Ba Sing Se a few days ago. We're heading to the Fire Nation...to home." I snorted a little and looked away from him.

"The Fire Nation is NOT my home. You should have just left me back in Ba Sing Se to die." Hopefully that really got to him. But he deserved it. Bastard. More tears began to run down my face and my heart hurt even worse than when I had went to sleep.

"It's today, isn't it?" I said softly. Zuko nodded. We didn't say anything for a while.

"Zuko...could you leave? I just...want to be alone for a while...I'll be outside in a little while," I said. He got up and left the room. When he was gone I laid in my bed not moving. My mind was going numb. I couldn't think of anything. I didn't want to think of anything. I just wanted it to all go away, all my pain. Just let it leave, let it go away.

I got up and slowly put on some Fire Nation clothes. It was a very pretty kimono. Too bad I couldn't enjoy it. I went out of the ship and on deck. Holding on the railings, I looked out at the sea.

"Don't stand by the edge," Zuko said from behind, "you might faint." I looked at him for a moment but then ignored his comment.

"What's the point? Either way, it's hopeless," I said, "I fall off the edge, I die. I continue living on like this and I die too. What's the point of living?"

"Didn't you leave in the first place to find your guardian?" Zuko said quietly. That was true. Zito was probably the only reason I was still going. I had to see him again. I couldn't leave him behind. I knew he wouldn't leave me behind either.

"How's sleeping beauty doing today?" Azula asked from behind. I felt my body immediately tense up.

"Go away," I growled.

"I'm surprised you're actually out here...it must be such a hard day for you," she said with a sneer. I glared at her then at Zuko for telling her.

"I said go away," I replied coolly.

"You should learn some manners before you face the Fire Lord."

"People with black hearts don't deserve manners." Yet she still didn't move. Fine. If Azula wasn't going to leave, then I would. I simply walked off the deck and back inside. Two little flames filled the palms of my hands. That little bitch! I was furious I didn't even know where I was going. Along the way, I ran into Ty Lee and Mai.

"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Ty Lee said in her annoying bubbly voice.

"Let's just go. It's no fun making Belle's life miserable anymore. It's just boring," Mai said.

"So I'm boring to you now is that it? At least I'm not a complete idiot and can see when someone is just using me!" I screamed.

"What are you talking about?" Mai asked, her voice slightly rising with interest.

"How can you not see that Azula is just using you? She doesn't give a shit about either one of you!"

"You mean like Prince Zuko doesn't care about you?" Mai asked. I felt my face spring to life.

"Shut your mouth!" I snapped.

"And you call us blind. Can't you see? Prince Zuko doesn't care about you. He just feels sorry for you. You're just annoying to him. You're a bore to everyone here." I didn't have a counter for Mai's comment. I stood there for a moment, not saying anything. I quickly walked away, heading to a study of some sort.

So, Zuko doesn't care about me? Was I taking his few words of kindness too seriously? But...he said...he said he loved me. Maybe it was just one of Azula's tricks. I didn't seem to know what to think anymore. Was our friendship just a thing of the past now? How could you be so stupid Belle? How could you let this stuff get to you? I should just go home, go back to Zito and forget this whole thing ever happened. Maybe it was best if I just forgot about Zuko. Maybe forgetting was the only way the pain would go away. I picked up Natasha and gently stroked her. I spent the rest of the day in this foreign room thinking of different things. Lee, Zuko, Zito, Uncle Iroh, my parents...

"There you are," Zuko said, his voice showing no emotion. I looked up only to look back down at the ground.

"How are you doing?" Zuko asked, slightly awkward.

"Fine...Zuko...are we friends?" I asked hopefully. I could feel Zuko's gaze on me, not knowing how to answer my question. So he didn't.

"Do you...see me as a nuisance?" I asked again.

"I've always seen you as a nuisance," Zuko answered. I looked up, hoping for some sort of sign of comfort, as if it was just a little joke. But Zuko had none to give.

"Do you think Azula will let me leave?" I asked him solemnly.

"You want to leave?" I could tell there was a slight tone of disappointment in his voice. Or, maybe it was excitement. I nodded.

"I think I just want to go home. Forget this ever happened." Zuko nodded in agreement. Of course he wanted me gone.

"Let's get you home," he said. He got up, expecting me to follow him. Zuko, do you really want me gone? Or do you want what's best for me?

Zuko led me on deck. He was probably looking for Azula. For once, I actually wanted to find her. But when she finally came on deck, there was a hint of evil, stronger than usual, in her eyes.

"Here, a messenger hawk sent this not too long ago," Azula said and she handed me a scroll. I didn't like the sound of that. I checked the outside of the scroll, making sure it was authentic. It looked alright to me. I opened it warily and scanned its contents.

_Miss Belle Xiao,_

_We regret to inform you that your guardian, Zito Cao, passed away in a Fire Nation raid. We are truly sorry for your loss._

I think I dropped the letter on the ground. The throbbing became unbearable but I didn't reach for my heart. I just stood there, not moving. Someone came beside me.

"Belle, are you okay?" Zuko asked me gently. I then began to tremble, holding down the tears. But it was no use. I buried my face in my hands, crying. So this was it? I had nothing more to live for. My parents, Uncle Iroh, Lee, and now Zito. They were all gone, out of my life. All except...

Zuko. He wrapped his arms around me and hid me from the world. I held tightly onto his shirt. I continued to cry as he lifted me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest. He brought me to a room. I didn't know if it was mine or his. Zuko placed me on the bed. I took his hand and made him place it on the left side of my face. I gently stroked his hand, not wanting him to leave me.

Zuko, you're all I have left. I know you see me as nothing but please never leave my side.


	33. Chapter 33: Revenge

Chapter 33: Revenge

"How are you feeling?" Zuko asked me after hours of crying. My eyes were red and my face full of tears. He wiped some of them away as though I was a fragile porcelain doll. My face was pale and I looked as though I could break any minute. I couldn't come to answer him. He sighed but continued to stay by my side. I was grateful but at the same time I knew I was hurting him. He didn't want me; he didn't want anything to do with me. I was just being a nuisance. That's why I had to keep him away from me. It wasn't fair to him, forcing him to watch me wither away until there was nothing left.

"Prince Zuko...don't waste your time with me," I said quietly. He looked confused by what I was saying.

"Don't you understand? There isn't any hope for me left. I've lost everyone...just leave me and let me die. At least then, my heart will stop hurting." He looked at me and his eyes suddenly filled with anger.

"I can't believe you're giving up like this. Stop laying in your bed and crying. Stop acting like a child. You're sixteen, get up and do something about it. I'm through taking care of you. You're nothing but a pain," he yelled. I was shocked at his remarks. I sat up and stared at him. Then I felt fire rising from my palms.

"How DARE you say that to me! How dare you! I've lost everything! I don't have any family left, I'm all alone! My only purpose in life was to protect my family, but there isn't a family anymore!" I yelled, "and if you think that I'm acting like a child because of that, then you're an asshole."

I rose out of bed and picked up Natasha.

"Where are you going?" he yelled.

"Away from you!" I yelled back. It hurt my heart but I didn't care. I went to let the servants bathe me. It actually relaxed me despite the fact that I was still a little creeped out by it. While being bathed, I couldn't help but think of his words. _Stop being a child. _Was I really acting that childish? Was it wrong for me to give up so quickly? Was me always blaming myself childish?...maybe all this wasn't my fault...maybe...Lee didn't die because of me...and maybe I should just be happy. Live happily ever after with Zuko, if Zuko would let me. But was that wrong of me?

I came out in a new Fire Nation dress. I decided that Zuko was right: I had to stop feeling sorry for myself. And the first thing I was going to do was talk to Zuko and tell him the truth. That I loved him and then I would tell him about the dreams I had had. The dreams about him. I found myself excited to talk to Zuko. I was practically running around just to find him. Along the way, I ran into Ty Lee. But where was Mai?

"Hi Ty Lee," I said. It was strange; I was being completely nice to her.

"Wow, you look happy Belle. Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. Wow, were we in some sort of altered dimension? The two of us were acting as though we had always been friends yet it was only yesterday that we were yelling at each other.

"I couldn't be happier...I just need to go talk to Zuko."

"Okay, I guess I'll see you around." I finally found Zuko in one of the rooms below deck. I was about to call out to him until I saw Mai. She was blushing and took his hand. I knew that he would back away soon. Only he didn't. He took the hand without saying anything. And was he smiling? Or was it only my imagination? I hid behind a pillar. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. It just couldn't. Zuko, the only person left...but he... he just didn't love me anymore. What a dope I had been. You stupid girl, he told you so many times that you were just a nuisance. Why did you not take any of those comments seriously? What's wrong with you, Belle? ...I ...I didn't ...no I couldn't believe it. Tears fell down my face as I quickly ran out of the room.

That was it. I wasn't going to be treated like this anymore. Now it was my turn to do some damage. The Day of Black Sun was near. The day Azula would be powerless. But I wouldn't. We would be arriving soon to our destination: the Fire Nation. To stop Aang. Except I wasn't going to hurt him. This was my chance to attack Azula and make her pay for what she did to me. I knew there was no chance that I would be able to escape and that execution would be my fate. But I didn't care. I had to do this. It's not like there would be anyone left to miss me.

I frantically searched the ship for my old stuff. There was no way Azula had gotten rid of my sword. I finally found it in a stock room, way below deck along with my book and a few other things. I took it and hid it in my room.

That night I changed into another Fire Nation outfit and took my sword. It felt so heavy considering I hadn't used it for so long. I tried some basic moves, but even that was slightly difficult for me. This was going to be hard. But I couldn't give up. I had to re-teach myself everything in a matter of days. Time was once again the enemy


End file.
